Reference plate · Letter 25 of 26
Y in Morse code
Y in Morse code is "-.--": dash, dot, dash and dash, spoken "dah-di-dah-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 L, which is dot-dash-dot-dot. The 7-day plan teaches Y on day 6. At 20 words per minute it takes 780 milliseconds to send.
dah-di-dah-dah
- Code
- −·−−
- At 20 WPM
- 780ms
- Plan day
- 6
Y · dah-di-dah-dah
dash dot dash dash
Y at a glance
Where Y sits in the Morse code tree
The path through the Morse code tree to Y: from the root, a dash to T, a dot to N, a dash to K then a dash to Y.
In the Morse code tree a dot branches left and a dash branches right, so every character sits exactly where its own code leads. Y sits four steps from the root, directly below K. No letter hangs below Y: it is a leaf of the tree.
See the whole Morse code treeCharacters confused with Y
Y is easiest to mistake for L, Q, C or X. Practise them back to back until the difference is a sound rather than a count.
How to learn Y
7-day plan
The plan teaches Y on day 6, together with B, X, C, Z and Q. Learn it by its sound, "dah-di-dah-dah", at full speed rather than by counting its elements.
In the Koch method it is character 18 of 36.
Practise
Practice brings Y back just before you would forget it, in all three skills: copying it by ear, reading it, and sending it yourself.
Words with Y in them
Questions about Y in Morse code
- What is Y in Morse code?
- Y in Morse code is "-.--", spoken dah-di-dah-dah. It is four elements long (dash dot dash 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 Y?
- Y (-.--) is easy to confuse with L (.-..), its mirror image with dots and dashes swapped, and with C (-.-.) and X (-..-), 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 Y in Morse code?
- By its sound, not its shape: Y is spoken dah-di-dah-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, Z and Q.