The DotDash blog
Guides, history and technique for learning Morse code.
How to Send Morse Code with a Flashlight
Morse code was made for light: how to flash SOS and any message with a flashlight or phone torch, with the exact timing that keeps it readable.
Morse Code Abbreviations: CQ, 73, 88 and the Prosigns Operators Use
What CQ, 73, 88, SK, QTH and the other Morse abbreviations mean, the difference between abbreviations and prosigns, and how a real CW exchange sounds.
How to Say I Love You in Morse Code
I love you in Morse code is .. .-.. --- ...- . -.-- --- ..- — here is how to read it, tap it, flash it with a light, and send it as a real secret message.
The Best Apps to Learn Morse Code in 2026, Compared
An honest comparison of the top Morse code learning apps — DotDash, Morse Mania, Morse-It, Morse Machine and LCWO — by method, features, platforms and price.
How to Learn Morse Code in 2026: A Beginner’s Guide
A step-by-step plan for learning Morse code by ear: why you should skip the chart, how the Koch method works, and a daily practice routine that actually sticks.
The Morse Code Alphabet Explained
Every letter from A to Z in International Morse code, the timing rules that hold it together, and why the most common letters have the shortest codes.
SOS in Morse Code: What It Means and Why It’s ... --- ...
The real history of SOS: why it was chosen in 1906, what it does and doesn’t stand for, its role on the Titanic, and how to tap or flash it correctly.
The Koch Method: Why Learning Morse Fast Works Better
How a 1930s German psychologist discovered that learning Morse at full speed from day one beats memorising a chart, and how to use his method yourself.
Farnsworth Timing: The Secret to Learning Morse Without the 10 WPM Plateau
What Farnsworth timing is, how it differs from simply slowing Morse down, and why it is the key to going from beginner to 20 WPM without relearning anything.
Morse Code Numbers, Punctuation and Prosigns
The digits 0 to 9 and the pattern that makes them easy, the punctuation marks you will actually hear, the prosigns AR, SK and BT, and the ham abbreviations CQ, 73 and 88.