Reference plate · Letter 16 of 26
P in Morse code
P in Morse code is ".--.": dot, dash, dash and dot, spoken "di-dah-dah-dit". It is one of the 12 four-element letters, so it sits four steps from the root of the Morse code tree, and it is the mirror image of X, which is dash-dot-dot-dash. The 7-day plan teaches P on day 5. At 20 words per minute it takes 660 milliseconds to send.
di-dah-dah-dit
- Code
- ·−−·
- At 20 WPM
- 660ms
- Plan day
- 5
P · di-dah-dah-dit
dot dash dash dot
P at a glance
Where P sits in the Morse code tree
The path through the Morse code tree to P: from the root, a dot to E, a dash to A, a dash to W then a dot to P.
In the Morse code tree a dot branches left and a dash branches right, so every character sits exactly where its own code leads. P sits four steps from the root, directly below W. No letter hangs below P: it is a leaf of the tree.
See the whole Morse code treeCharacters confused with P
P is easiest to mistake for X, F, J or L. Practise them back to back until the difference is a sound rather than a count.
How to learn P
7-day plan
The plan teaches P on day 5, together with H, V, F, L and J. Learn it by its sound, "di-dah-dah-dit", at full speed rather than by counting its elements.
In the Koch method it is character 7 of 36.
Practise
Practice brings P back just before you would forget it, in all three skills: copying it by ear, reading it, and sending it yourself.
Words with P in them
Questions about P in Morse code
- What is P in Morse code?
- P in Morse code is ".--.", spoken di-dah-dah-dit. It is four elements long (dot dash dash dot) and takes 660 milliseconds to send at 20 words per minute. It sits four steps from the root of the Morse code tree.
- Which Morse code characters are confused with P?
- P (.--.) is easy to confuse with X (-..-), its mirror image with dots and dashes swapped, and with F (..-.), J (.---) and L (.-..), 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 P in Morse code?
- By its sound, not its shape: P is spoken di-dah-dah-dit. Listen to it at full speed instead of counting its elements. MorseForge's 7-day plan teaches it on day 5, together with H, V, F, L and J.