S
S in Morse code
... · dit dit dit
How to say it
Operators don’t say “dot dash” — they say dit dit dit. Saying the rhythm out loud is the quickest way to make it stick.
Mnemonic
Think: si-si-si. 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.
Three dits. Combined with O (three dahs) it forms the famous distress signal SOS.
Timing
3 dits and 0 dahs. A dah is three times the length of a dit, with a one-dit gap between each symbol. The whole letter is 5 units long.
Where you learn it
In the Koch order DotDash uses, S is character number 4 of 40. You learn it by sound at full speed, with a new character unlocked each time you reach 90% accuracy.
Easily confused with
Similar rhythms worth comparing side by side: H ...., V ...-, I ...
Words with S
Learn S and the other 39 by ear
DotDash teaches you Morse code in five minutes a day. Start free on iOS and Android.