Reference plate · Letter 17 of 26
Q in Morse code
Q in Morse code is "--.-": dash, dash, dot and dash, spoken "dah-dah-di-dah". 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 F, which is dot-dot-dash-dot. The 7-day plan teaches Q on day 6. At 20 words per minute it takes 780 milliseconds to send.
dah-dah-di-dah
- Code
- −−·−
- At 20 WPM
- 780ms
- Plan day
- 6
Q · dah-dah-di-dah
dash dash dot dash
Q at a glance
Where Q sits in the Morse code tree
The path through the Morse code tree to Q: from the root, a dash to T, a dash to M, a dot to G then a dash to Q.
In the Morse code tree a dot branches left and a dash branches right, so every character sits exactly where its own code leads. Q sits four steps from the root, directly below G. No letter hangs below Q: it is a leaf of the tree.
See the whole Morse code treeCharacters confused with Q
Q is easiest to mistake for F, Y, X or Z. Practise them back to back until the difference is a sound rather than a count.
How to learn Q
7-day plan
The plan teaches Q on day 6, together with B, X, C, Y and Z. Learn it by its sound, "dah-dah-di-dah", at full speed rather than by counting its elements.
In the Koch method it is character 22 of 36.
Practise
Practice brings Q back just before you would forget it, in all three skills: copying it by ear, reading it, and sending it yourself.
Words with Q in them
Questions about Q in Morse code
- What is Q in Morse code?
- Q in Morse code is "--.-", spoken dah-dah-di-dah. It is four elements long (dash dash dot dash) and takes 780 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 Q?
- Q (--.-) is easy to confuse with F (..-.), its mirror image with dots and dashes swapped, and with X (-..-) and Z (--..), 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 Q in Morse code?
- By its sound, not its shape: Q is spoken dah-dah-di-dah. Listen to it at full speed instead of counting its elements. MorseForge's 7-day plan teaches it on day 6, together with B, X, C, Y and Z.