Hello, yes, no and thank you in Morse code
HELLO in Morse code is .... . .-.. .-.. ---, YES is -.-- . ..., NO is -. --- and THANK YOU is - .... .- -. -.- / -.-- --- ..-. Each character is separated by a space and the two words of THANK YOU by a slash. On the radio, operators often shorten these: thank you becomes TU, - ..-, and “got it” is simply R, .-..
Below are the everyday words with their codes, how to key each one so it sounds right, and the radio shorthand that does the same job in a fraction of the time.
Everyday words in Morse
| Word | Morse code |
|---|---|
| HELLO | .... . .-.. .-.. --- |
| HI | .... .. |
| YES | -.-- . ... |
| NO | -. --- |
| OK | --- -.- |
| PLEASE | .--. .-.. . .- ... . |
| THANK YOU | - .... .- -. -.- / -.-- --- ..- |
| THANKS | - .... .- -. -.- ... |
| SORRY | ... --- .-. .-. -.-- |
| GOOD NIGHT | --. --- --- -.. / -. .. --. .... - |
| BYE | -... -.-- . |
Morse has no capital or small letters, so HELLO, Hello and hello are all the same code. And it has no single codes for whole words: every word here is spelled out letter by letter, with a three-unit gap between letters and a seven-unit gap between words.
How to key HELLO
HELLO makes a good first word: it is short, it has only four different letters, and it holds a couple of classic traps. Here it is as rhythm:
| Letter | Code | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| H | .... |
di-di-di-dit |
| E | . |
dit |
| L | .-.. |
di-dah-di-dit |
| L | .-.. |
di-dah-di-dit |
| O | --- |
dah-dah-dah |
Three things to listen for when you send it:
- Keep a clear gap after H. H is four dits and E is one. Run them together and you send five dits,
....., which is the figure 5. The word becomes 5LLO. - Keep the two Ls apart. L is a busy letter: di-dah-di-dit. Two of them with no gap blur into a string nobody can read. Leave a full three-unit gap between them, a beat as long as a dah.
- Give O three real dahs. A rushed hand shortens dahs. If the last letter comes out as three short sounds it is S, and HELLO becomes HELLS.
HI, .... .., has the same trap in a smaller space: H and I are both all dits, six in a row, and only the gap tells the listener where H ends.
Yes and no
YES is -.-- . ...: dah-di-dah-dah, dit, di-di-dit. The Y has a lopsided, bouncing sound that is easy to remember once you have heard it. Then a single dit for E and three for S. Keep the E as its own letter; if it joins the S you send four dits, which is H, and the word becomes YH.
NO is -. ---: dah-dit, dah-dah-dah. It is quick to send, and it sounds firm, which suits it.
Both words are short enough to send in full. You do not need shorthand for them, on or off the radio.
Thank you, and the shorthand operators use
Radio operators keep a set of abbreviations for the words that come up in every contact. They are not secret codes, just letters and figures, sent with ordinary letter gaps. These cover thanks, goodbyes and the small courtesies in between:
| Shorthand | Means | Morse code |
|---|---|---|
| TU | thank you | - ..- |
| R | received, got it | .-. |
| 73 | best regards | --... ...-- |
| 88 | love and kisses | ---.. ---.. |
| PSE | please | .--. ... . |
| AGN | again | .- --. -. |
| FB | fine business, good | ..-. -... |
| ES | and | . ... |
| UR | your | ..- .-. |
The saving is real. Measured in units of time, THANK YOU is 85 units long, about five seconds at 20 words per minute. TU is 13 units, under one second. PLEASE is 47 units and PSE is 23. In a contact where the same courtesies come round every few minutes, that adds up.
The figures are worth a moment. 73, best regards, is --... ...--: dah-dah-di-di-dit, di-di-di-dah-dah. Notice that the two halves mirror each other, which makes it easy to recognize by ear. Because it means best regards, it usually comes at the close of a contact, often in a line like this:
- ..- / . ... / --... ...--
That is TU ES 73: thank you and best regards. 88, love and kisses, suits family and people close to you; I love you in Morse code has more messages in that vein. For the full set of contact shorthand, from CQ to DE to K, see CW abbreviations, and for how they fit into an exchange, how a basic CW contact works.
One caution if you use these off the radio. A friend who knows the alphabet but not the shorthand will read TU as two letters and 73 as a number. For messages to people who are not operators, spell the words out.
Practicing them
Short words are the best way into Morse rhythm, because you hear each one as a single shape rather than a string of letters.
- Say them aloud first. Di-di-di-dit, dit, di-dah-di-dit, di-dah-di-dit, dah-dah-dah. Saying the rhythm fixes the gaps in your head before your hand gets involved.
- Tap them. A finger on a table is enough: a quick tap for a dit, a press held about three times as long for a dah.
- Send the same word ten times in a row. Listen for whether the tenth sounds like the first. Uneven gaps show up fast when the word repeats.
- Mix in the shorthand. TU, R and 73 are short enough to drill between longer words, and they turn up again and again on the air.
If you practice on a Mac, Dot & Dash has a Write screen where you type a word like HELLO and press Send: the machine sends it, the lever moves, the tone plays and the paper tape prints the dots and dashes. Or key it yourself with Space and watch it decode as you go. Its course has you keying HELLO from chapter 5.
To turn your own name into code the same way, see how to write your name in Morse code.
Questions
Is there a single Morse code for “hello”?
No. HELLO is spelled letter by letter, .... . .-.. .-.. ---, like any other word. Morse has codes for letters, figures, punctuation and a few prosigns, not for whole words.
What does 73 mean in Morse code?
73 means best regards. It is sent as the figures 7 and 3, --... ...--, and as a parting courtesy it usually comes at the close of a contact.
How do you say thank you in Morse code?
In full, THANK YOU is - .... .- -. -.- / -.-- --- ..-. On the radio it is often shortened to TU, - ..-, which takes a fraction of the time to send.
How do you say OK in Morse code?
Spell it: O then K, --- -.-. On the radio, R (received) often does the same job, telling the other operator you got the message.