Reference plate · Letter 24 of 26
X in Morse code
X in Morse code is "-..-": dash, dot, dot and dash, spoken "dah-di-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 P, which is dot-dash-dash-dot. The 7-day plan teaches X on day 6. At 20 words per minute it takes 660 milliseconds to send.
dah-di-di-dah
- Code
- −··−
- At 20 WPM
- 660ms
- Plan day
- 6
X · dah-di-di-dah
dash dot dot dash
X at a glance
Where X sits in the Morse code tree
The path through the Morse code tree to X: from the root, a dash to T, a dot to N, a dot to D then a dash to X.
In the Morse code tree a dot branches left and a dash branches right, so every character sits exactly where its own code leads. X sits four steps from the root, directly below D. No letter hangs below X: it is a leaf of the tree.
See the whole Morse code treeCharacters confused with X
X is easiest to mistake for P, B, Q, V or Y. Practise them back to back until the difference is a sound rather than a count.
How to learn X
7-day plan
The plan teaches X on day 6, together with B, C, Y, Z and Q. Learn it by its sound, "dah-di-di-dah", at full speed rather than by counting its elements.
In the Koch method it is character 36 of 36.
Practise
Practice brings X back just before you would forget it, in all three skills: copying it by ear, reading it, and sending it yourself.
Questions about X in Morse code
- What is X in Morse code?
- X in Morse code is "-..-", spoken dah-di-di-dah. It is four elements long (dash dot dot dash) 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 X?
- X (-..-) is easy to confuse with P (.--.), its mirror image with dots and dashes swapped, and with B (-...), Q (--.-), V (...-) and Y (-.--), 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 X in Morse code?
- By its sound, not its shape: X is spoken dah-di-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, C, Y, Z and Q.