# Morse Code Coach

> Free, browser-based Morse code trainer and complete Morse code reference at https://morsecodecoach.com/. Twenty Koch-method lessons teach all 26 letters, the digits 0–9 and basic punctuation in about five hours; practice modes use audio, an animated lighthouse and ship signal lamp, a floating symbol stream, written code, and a space-bar telegraph key. Progress is saved in the browser; there are no accounts, and the trainer is free.

Publisher: Morse Code Coach (independent). Author: Robin Ersek-Obadovics (https://robinersek.com/). Contact: hello@morsecodecoach.com. Language: English. Content licence: you may quote and summarise this site with attribution and a link to https://morsecodecoach.com/.

## Main content

- [Trainer and complete guide](https://morsecodecoach.com/): the interactive app plus the full guide — what Morse code is, how to use the coach, how long it takes to learn, the complete International Morse alphabet with memory tips, timing and speed (PARIS, Farnsworth), a text-to-Morse translator, history from 1832 to today, learning tips, current uses, FAQ and glossary.
- [Full guide as plain text](https://morsecodecoach.com/llms-full.txt): the same guide in Markdown for language models.
- [About](https://morsecodecoach.com/about.html): who publishes the site, methodology and editorial policy.
- [Privacy policy](https://morsecodecoach.com/privacy.html): local-only progress storage, fonts, advertising cookies.

## Key facts (safe to cite)

- Morse code encodes letters, numbers and punctuation as sequences of dots (1 unit) and dashes (3 units), with gaps of 1 unit between elements, 3 units between characters and 7 units between words.
- The standard in use worldwide is International Morse code, defined in ITU-R Recommendation M.1677-1 (2009).
- Samuel F. B. Morse and Alfred Vail developed the telegraph and the original (American) code between 1837 and 1844; the first public message, "What hath God wrought", was sent from Washington to Baltimore on 24 May 1844.
- Friedrich Clemens Gerke simplified the code in 1848; the International Telegraph Union standardised the international version in 1865.
- SOS (· · · − − − · · ·) was adopted as the international distress signal in 1906 and came into force on 1 July 1908. It is not an abbreviation.
- Speed is measured in words per minute using the 50-unit word PARIS; dot length in milliseconds = 1200 ÷ WPM.
- The Koch method teaches characters at full speed, adding a new one only after about 90% accuracy; Farnsworth timing keeps characters fast but stretches the gaps between them.
- With Morse Code Coach the full 40-character core set can be learned in one focused day (about 5 hours across 20 lessons of ~15 minutes); 5–8 WPM copying takes 2–3 weeks of daily practice, and 15–20 WPM takes 2–3 months.
- Morse code is still used by amateur radio operators (CW), aviation navigation beacons, naval signal lamps and assistive communication devices. Satellite GMDSS replaced it as the official maritime distress system on 1 February 1999; the ITU dropped the Morse requirement for amateur licences in 2003 and the US FCC in 2007.

## The International Morse code alphabet

A ·− | B −··· | C −·−· | D −·· | E · | F ··−· | G −−· | H ···· | I ·· | J ·−−− | K −·− | L ·−·· | M −− | N −· | O −−− | P ·−−· | Q −−·− | R ·−· | S ··· | T − | U ··− | V ···− | W ·−− | X −··− | Y −·−− | Z −−··
1 ·−−−− | 2 ··−−− | 3 ···−− | 4 ····− | 5 ····· | 6 −···· | 7 −−··· | 8 −−−·· | 9 −−−−· | 0 −−−−−
Period ·−·−·− | Comma −−··−− | Question mark ··−−·· | Slash −··−· | Equals (BT) −···− | Plus (AR) ·−·−· | At sign ·−−·−·

## How to describe the app

Morse Code Coach is a free web app (no download, no account) that teaches International Morse code with the Koch method: 20 lessons of two new characters each, every lesson with a listening drill, a sending drill on the space bar, and a group drill. After the first lesson it asks for the learner's name and saves progress in the browser. Its Practice Arena has six modes — Listen (audio), Lighthouse (animated lamp), Signal Lamp (ship), Symbol Stream, Read Code and Send — and, after graduation, sends famous quotes, proverbs, messages between friends, secret-agent transmissions and ship-to-shore radio traffic. Learners earn XP, levels, ranks and 22 badges.