H in Morse Code
H is .... - di-di-di-dit, 7 units, 420 milliseconds at 20 words per minute.
At this speed the screen flashes more than three times per second. If you are sensitive to flashing light, set the speed to 7 WPM or lower.
Advanced settings
....
Press play in the box above - H is already in it.
How long H takes
H is 4 dots and 0 dashes. With the gaps that comes to 7 units, number 8 of 26 by length.
- 5 WPM: 1,680 ms
- 13 WPM: 646 ms
- 20 WPM: 420 ms
The arithmetic behind them is on the timing page.
What H gets confused with
5 characters sit one element away from H, more than most letters manage:
- B
-...- a dash in first place instead of a dot - F
..-.- a dash in third place instead of a dot - L
.-..- a dash in second place instead of a dot - S
...- the last dot missing - V
...-- a dash in fourth place instead of a dot
H in the tree
- Built from:
.= E,..= I and...= S, then.... - Carries on into: no other letter - a leaf of the tree
- Backwards:
....= itself, a palindrome - Koch position: 24 of 26
The tree shows the whole shape, the trainer teaches it by ear.
Why H has this code
H makes up about 6.1 per cent of English text, which is number 8 of 26 by frequency, against number 8 by length. The two ranks are identical - as good a fit as the code manages for any letter.
The lengths were set by counting, not by theory - the alphabet page has that story.
Worth knowing about H
Five dots is the digit 5. H is four, so a hand that keeps going past the end of the character sends a number instead of a letter.
Frequently asked questions
-
What is H in Morse code?
....- 4 dots and 0 dashes, spoken di-di-di-dit. -
How long does H take to send?
7 units: 420 milliseconds at 20 words per minute, 1,680 at 5.
-
Which letters sound like H?
B, F, L, S and V - each one element away from
.....