Operator's manual · by Can Türk
Notes on learning Morse code
These notes explain how to learn Morse code so that it sticks: why memorising a chart caps your speed, which order to learn the letters in, what Farnsworth timing is for, and how long it really takes. Each note opens with a direct answer and is also available as plain Markdown for reading tools and assistants.
Contents
Which order should you learn Morse code in?
Alphabetical is the worst order to learn Morse code in. Koch and shortest-first both work, and choosing between them matters far less than avoiding A B C.
Farnsworth timing, and why it beats slowing down
Full-speed characters with stretched gaps teach the rhythm of each one. Slowing the characters themselves teaches counting, which caps you at 10 WPM.
SOS does not stand for anything
It was chosen because three dots, three dashes, three dots is unmistakable — not because it abbreviates a phrase. Save Our Souls came afterwards.
How long does it take to learn Morse code?
Two hours teaches every Morse character. Copying at a useful speed takes two to three months of short daily sessions, and that is the number that matters.
Why you can't learn Morse code from a chart
Memorising the dots and dashes builds a translation step between hearing a character and knowing it — and that step becomes the ceiling on your speed.