How to Learn Morse Code: A Simple Plan That Works

By the Morse Code Translator team · Published October 24, 2026 · Facts checked against the sources below · How we work

Anyone can learn Morse code. You do not need a radio, a license or any money. You need your ears, a few minutes a day and a good plan. This guide gives you that plan, based on advice from the ARRL and from hams who have done it.

The big secret: learn by sound

Most people start with a chart. They look at A and see “dot dash”. Then, when they hear the code, they count: “dot… dash… that is A”. It works at first. But it hits a wall fast. At real speed, there is no time to count.

The ARRL says to learn Morse code as sounds. A is not “dot dash”. A is the sound “di dah”. You hear it the way you hear a word. Hams call this “copying by ear”.

So the first rule is simple: do not learn from a chart. Learn from audio. Use a chart only to check a letter you forgot.

Two methods that help

The Koch method

The Koch method is named after Ludwig Koch, a German psychologist who worked on it in the 1930s. Here is how it works:

Start with just two letters, played at your goal speed.
Listen to random groups of those two letters and write them down.
When you get 90 percent right, add one more letter.
Repeat until you know them all.

The ARRL describes this method and points to free software for it. The idea is that you learn every letter at full speed from day one, so you never build the habit of counting.

The Farnsworth method

The Farnsworth method changes the gaps, not the letters. Each letter plays at a high speed, like 18 or 20 words per minute. But the space between letters and words is longer. This gives you time to think, while the sound of each letter stays the same.

ARRL points to an article on this method from QEX, the ARRL tech journal, in April 1990. You can try it in our Morse code generator. Set the speed to 18 WPM and the Farnsworth speed to 6 or 8.

Many learners use both: Koch to add letters, and Farnsworth spacing to slow the gaps.

A simple daily plan

Week 1: the first few letters

Pick a speed for letters of about 15 to 20 WPM.
Start with two letters, for example K and M.
Play random groups and write what you hear.
Practice about 20 minutes a day.

Weeks 2 to 6: add letters

Add a letter each time you reach about 90 percent.
Keep each session short. Stop when you feel tired.
Say each letter’s sound out loud as you write it.

After that: numbers, words and speed

Add the numbers and common signs.
Start copying real words, not just random groups.
Slowly shrink the Farnsworth gaps until you hear normal timing.

How often should you practice?

Little and often wins. On Reddit’s r/amateurradio, hams who learned the code often say that 20 minutes every day beats two hours once a week. Your brain needs time to sort the sounds between sessions.

One popular thread puts it simply: about 20 minutes a day for about three months. That is a rough guide, not a promise. Some people go faster and some slower.

How long does it take?

There is no single answer. Things that matter:

How often you practice. Every day is best.
Your goal speed. Reading 5 WPM is much easier than 25 WPM.
Your method. Learning by sound from the start saves time later.

For a sense of speed: under old US rules, the entry license test was 5 WPM. The middle General class was 13 WPM, and the top Extra class was 20 WPM, the ARRL says. Today, the ARRL says, skilled operators often chat at 20 to 30 WPM.

Tips from people who learned it

Do not count dits. If you catch yourself counting, raise the letter speed.
Leave a blank and move on. If you miss a letter, skip it. Stopping to think makes you miss the next three.
Listen in the car or on a walk. Make a practice file with the generator and play it on your phone.
Send as well as receive. Use the tap key in the translator to practice sending. Then play your taps into the audio decoder to check your timing.
Learn mirror letters together. A and N, D and U, G and W are mirror images. See them on the alphabet page.

Free ways to practice

This site. Tap any letter on the alphabet chart to hear it. Make random practice files with the generator.
W1AW. The ARRL station W1AW sends code practice on the air at speeds from 5 to 40 WPM.
CW Academy. The ARRL page points to the CWops CW Academy, a free online class with real teachers.
Gboard. Google’s phone keyboard has a Morse code layout. Typing your texts in Morse is good practice.

Do you still need it for a license?

Not in the US. The FCC removed the Morse code exam for all amateur radio licenses in an order that took effect on February 23, 2007. Before that, the code test for the entry Technician license had already ended in 1991.

Many hams still learn the code anyway. A Morse signal can get through when voice is too weak to hear. To learn more, see is Morse code still used.

Start today

Open the alphabet chart and listen to K and M.
Make a practice file with just those two letters in the generator.
Play it for 20 minutes, writing what you hear.
Come back tomorrow and do it again.

That is it. In a few weeks you will know more letters than you think. If you are just starting out, read what Morse code is first.

Tools for this guide

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to learn Morse code?

It depends on how often you practice and how fast you want to go. Many hams on Reddit say about 20 minutes a day for around three months gets them to a useful speed. Some people learn the letters in a few weeks, but building speed takes longer.

Should I learn Morse code with a chart?

Use a chart only to look things up. The ARRL says to learn the code by sound. If you learn the picture of dots and dashes, you have to count them in your head, and that keeps you slow.

What speed should I learn at?

Pick a letter speed that is too fast to count the dots, such as 15 to 20 words per minute. Then add extra space between letters. That is the Farnsworth method.

Do I need Morse code for a ham radio license?

Not in the US. The FCC dropped the Morse code test for all license classes in 2007. Many hams still learn it for fun and for its reach on weak signals.