Reference plate · Number 4 of 10
3 in Morse code
3 in Morse code is "...--": three dots followed by two dashes, spoken "di-di-di-dah-dah". It is one of the 10 digits, all exactly five elements long, and it is the mirror image of 8, which is dash-dash-dash-dot-dot. The 7-day plan teaches 3 on day 7. At 20 words per minute it takes 780 milliseconds to send.
di-di-di-dah-dah
- Code
- ···−−
- At 20 WPM
- 780ms
- Plan day
- 7
3 · di-di-di-dah-dah
dot dot dot dash dash
3 at a glance
Where 3 sits in the Morse code tree
The path through the Morse code tree to 3: from the root, a dot to E, a dot to I, a dot to S, a dash to V then a dash to 3.
In the Morse code tree a dot branches left and a dash branches right, so every character sits exactly where its own code leads. Every digit sits five steps from the root, one layer below the longest letters, so its path runs through letters you already know.
See the whole Morse code treeCharacters confused with 3
3 is easiest to mistake for 8, 7, 2 or 4. Practise them back to back until the difference is a sound rather than a count.
How to learn 3
7-day plan
The plan teaches 3 on day 7, together with 0, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Learn it by its sound, "di-di-di-dah-dah", at full speed rather than by counting its elements.
In the Koch method it is character 26 of 36.
Practise
Practice brings 3 back just before you would forget it, in all three skills: copying it by ear, reading it, and sending it yourself.
Words with 3 in them
Questions about 3 in Morse code
- What is 3 in Morse code?
- 3 in Morse code is "...--", spoken di-di-di-dah-dah. It is five elements long (dot dot dot dash dash) and takes 780 milliseconds to send at 20 words per minute.
- Which Morse code characters are confused with 3?
- 3 (...--) is easy to confuse with 8 (---..), its mirror image with dots and dashes swapped, and with 2 (..---) and 4 (....-), each of which differs from it by a single element. Practise them back to back until the difference is a sound rather than a count.
- How do you learn 3 in Morse code?
- By its sound, not its shape: 3 is spoken di-di-di-dah-dah. Listen to it at full speed instead of counting its elements. MorseForge's 7-day plan teaches it on day 7, together with 0, 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.