C
C in Morse code
-.-. · dah dit dah dit
How to say it
Operators don’t say “dot dash” — they say dah dit dah dit. Saying the rhythm out loud is the quickest way to make it stick.
Mnemonic
Think: CO-ca CO-la. Stressed syllables are dahs, unstressed are dits. Use it to get started, then drop it — at real speed you won’t have time to think.
CQ — “seek you” — is the general call radio operators send to start a conversation.
Timing
2 dits and 2 dahs. A dah is three times the length of a dit, with a one-dit gap between each symbol. The whole letter is 11 units long.
Where you learn it
In the Koch order DotDash uses, C is character number 36 of 40. You learn it by sound at full speed, with a new character unlocked each time you reach 90% accuracy.
Words with C
- CQ — -.-. --.-

Learn C and the other 39 by ear
DotDash teaches you Morse code in five minutes a day — free on iOS and Android.