How do you write numbers in Morse code?

Digit by digit, with a space between them, exactly as letters are spaced. Every digit is five elements long, so 73, the operators' sign-off, is "--... ...--". Morse code has no single symbol for a number bigger than nine; larger numbers are always spelled out one digit at a time.

Why is 0 five dashes in Morse code?

Because the digits run in a cycle. 1 is one dot and four dashes, and each digit after it moves one more dot in until 5 is five dots. From 6 the dashes come back in the same order, so 9 is four dashes and one dot and the only pattern left after it is five dashes. Zero closes the cycle after nine rather than opening it before one.

How long does it take to send a number in Morse code?

At 20 words per minute the quickest digit, 5 (five dots), takes 540 milliseconds and the slowest, 0 (five dashes), takes 1140 milliseconds. Every dash that replaces a dot adds two units, 120 milliseconds at that speed, and a gap between digits adds three units more.

Which Morse code numbers are mirror images of each other?

Swapping every dot for a dash turns 1 into 6, 2 into 7, 3 into 8, 4 into 9 and 5 into 0, so each digit's mirror is five places along. Reading a digit backwards gives another digit as well: 1 and 9, 2 and 8, 3 and 7, and 4 and 6. Only 0 and 5 read the same in both directions.

Reference plate · Numbers

Morse code numbers

Morse code numbers are the easiest part of the code to learn, because one rule spells all ten. Every digit is exactly five elements long. 1 is one dot and four dashes, each digit after it moves one more dot in until 5 is five dots, and from 6 the dashes return until 0 is five dashes.

The rule10 digits · 5 elements each

Digits: 10
Elements: 5
Plan day: 7

1234567890 · in rule order

dot dash dash dash dash break dot dot dash dash dash break dot dot dot dash dash break dot dot dot dot dash break dot dot dot dot dot break dash dot dot dot dot break dash dash dot dot dot break dash dash dash dot dot break dash dash dash dash dot break dash dash dash dash dash

~13.4s

Speed15 WPM

Morse code numbers 0 to 9

Each digit with its code, sound and send time at 20 WPM, per ITU-R M.1677-1
Digit	Morse	Spoken	Elements	At 20 WPM	Mirror
0	-----	dah-dah-dah-dah-dah	five dashes	1140 ms	5
1	.----	di-dah-dah-dah-dah	one dot and four dashes	1020 ms	6
2	..---	di-di-dah-dah-dah	two dots and three dashes	900 ms	7
3	...--	di-di-di-dah-dah	three dots and two dashes	780 ms	8
4	....-	di-di-di-di-dah	four dots and one dash	660 ms	9
5	.....	di-di-di-di-dit	five dots	540 ms	0
6	-....	dah-di-di-di-dit	one dash and four dots	660 ms	1
7	--...	dah-dah-di-di-dit	two dashes and three dots	780 ms	2
8	---..	dah-dah-dah-di-dit	three dashes and two dots	900 ms	3
9	----.	dah-dah-dah-dah-dit	four dashes and one dot	1020 ms	4

The one rule that spells every digit

1 to 5: dots move in

1 is one dot and four dashes. Each digit after it swaps the next dash for a dot, so 5 is five dots: the digit is the number of dots it starts with.

1·−−−−
2··−−−
3···−−
4····−
5·····

6 to 0: dashes come back

6 is one dash and four dots, and the dashes return in the same order until 0 is five dashes. Count the dashes it starts with and add five, and 0 closes the cycle after 9.

6−····
7−−···
8−−−··
9−−−−·
0−−−−−

How long each number takes

Every digit has the same number of elements, but not the same length. At 20 words per minute 5 is the quickest at 540 milliseconds and 0 the slowest at 1140, because a dash lasts three units and a dot one.

5540 ms
4660 ms
6660 ms
3780 ms
7780 ms
2900 ms
8900 ms
11020 ms
91020 ms
01140 ms

How to practise Morse code numbers

Learn them by sound and in order: hear 1 to 5 as a run of dots growing longer, and 6 to 0 as the dashes coming back. The 7-day plan teaches all 10 on day 7, after the letters.

Callsigns mix letters and digits, so copy practice is where numbers get fast: whole lines, graded character by character.

Practise numbers The whole alphabet

Questions about Morse code numbers

How do you write numbers in Morse code?: Digit by digit, with a space between them, exactly as letters are spaced. Every digit is five elements long, so 73, the operators' sign-off, is "--... ...--". Morse code has no single symbol for a number bigger than nine; larger numbers are always spelled out one digit at a time.
Why is 0 five dashes in Morse code?: Because the digits run in a cycle. 1 is one dot and four dashes, and each digit after it moves one more dot in until 5 is five dots. From 6 the dashes come back in the same order, so 9 is four dashes and one dot and the only pattern left after it is five dashes. Zero closes the cycle after nine rather than opening it before one.
How long does it take to send a number in Morse code?: At 20 words per minute the quickest digit, 5 (five dots), takes 540 milliseconds and the slowest, 0 (five dashes), takes 1140 milliseconds. Every dash that replaces a dot adds two units, 120 milliseconds at that speed, and a gap between digits adds three units more.
Which Morse code numbers are mirror images of each other?: Swapping every dot for a dash turns 1 into 6, 2 into 7, 3 into 8, 4 into 9 and 5 into 0, so each digit's mirror is five places along. Reading a digit backwards gives another digit as well: 1 and 9, 2 and 8, 3 and 7, and 4 and 6. Only 0 and 5 read the same in both directions.