A in Morse Code
The letter A in Morse code is .-: one dot followed by one dash, sounded “di-dah”. It is one of the first letters people learn, because it is short and appears in almost every English sentence.
What Does A Look Like in Morse Code?
A has 2 signals (1 dot and 1 dash) and takes 5 timing units to send. A is the third most common letter in English after E and T, which is why it was given one of the shortest codes. See it next to every other letter on the Morse code alphabet chart.
Words That Start With A in Morse Code
| Word | Morse code | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| AND | .- -. -.. | A N D |
| ARE | .- .-. . | A R E |
| ALL | .- .-.. .-.. | A L L |
| ASK | .- ... -.- | A S K |
| AIR | .- .. .-. | A I R |
Each word starts with .-. A space separates the letters. Type any other word into the Morse code translator to hear it.
Letters Easily Confused With A
N (the mirror of A)
-. · same two signals, reversed
E (A without the dash)
. · one dot only
R (A plus a dot)
.-. · dot dash dot
W (A plus a dash)
.-- · dot dash dash
A sits at the start of a family of letters that all begin with dot dash. Listen for what comes after the dash, and for whether the dot or the dash comes first. For a step-by-step method, read how to identify a letter from its Morse pattern.
How to Remember A in Morse Code
Say it out loud
Learn the sound “di-dah”, not the picture. A short “di” then a longer “dah” is quicker to recognise by ear than counting symbols.
Short then long
A is the simplest letter with both signal types: one dot, one dash. Almost every other letter is built by adding to a pattern like this.
Flip it to get N
Reverse A and you get N (-.). Learn the pair together and you will rarely mix them up.
Drill it
Use the Morse code practice quiz to hear A among other letters until you name it instantly.
How Long Does A Take to Send?
A is 5 units long: 1 for the dot, 1 for the gap inside the letter, and 3 for the dash. A dot is 1 unit and a dash is 3. The Morse code timing guide explains how speed changes the length of a unit.
| Speed | One unit | Time to send |
|---|---|---|
| 5 WPM | 240 ms | 1200 ms |
| 10 WPM | 120 ms | 600 ms |
| 15 WPM | 80 ms | 400 ms |
| 20 WPM | 60 ms | 300 ms |
| 25 WPM | 48 ms | 240 ms |
A in Radio and Real-World Morse
AR: end of message
Run A and R together without a gap and you get the prosign AR (.-.-.), which means end of message. See the full list of Morse code prosigns.
AS: wait
The prosign AS (.-...) asks the other station to wait. It is A followed straight away by S.
Mo(A) on buoys
Safe water buoys can flash the letter A, short then long, marked Mo(A) on nautical charts. Try it with the Morse code light tool.
Alfa in the NATO alphabet
Spoken over voice radio, A is “Alfa”. Morse code vs the NATO phonetic alphabet explains how the two systems differ.
How Efficient Is A in Morse Code?
Alfred Vail gave common letters short codes after estimating how often each letter is used. Comparing A’s share of English text with the length of its code shows how well that plan worked for this letter.
| Measure | A |
|---|---|
| Share of letters in English text | 8.2% |
| Frequency rank (of 26 letters) | 3rd |
| Morse code length | 5 units |
| Other letters with the same length | N, S |
| American Morse (US landline telegraph) | .- (same as International) |
| Accented Ä | .-.- (German, Swedish, Finnish) |
| Accented Á / Å | .--.- (Spanish, Scandinavian) |
A is the third most common letter and one of only three letters that take 5 units, alongside N and S. Its dot-dash pattern is the reverse of N, so the code packs two very frequent letters into the same short length.
Some languages add accented forms of A that are not in the English alphabet. Apart from É, these are national extensions rather than part of the ITU standard, so an English-only decoder may show them as unknown characters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is A in Morse code?
A in Morse code is .-, one dot followed by one dash.
How do you say A in Morse code out loud?
A is spoken “di-dah”: a short sound followed by a sound about three times longer.
What letter is dot dash in Morse code?
Dot dash (.-) is the letter A. Dash dot (-.) is N.
What is the difference between A and N in Morse code?
They use the same two signals in reverse order. A is dot then dash (.-) and N is dash then dot (-.).
What does AR mean in Morse code?
AR is a prosign meaning end of message. It is sent as .-.-., with A and R joined together and no gap between them.