How long does it take to send SOS in Morse code?

At 20 words per minute, SOS takes about 1.6 seconds to send. That counts its 6 dots and 3 dashes plus the silences between them, timed by the PARIS standard, in which one unit, the length of a dot, is 60 milliseconds at that speed. Sent the way operators send it, run together as one prosign with no gaps between the letters, it takes about 1.4 seconds.

Words in Morse · Emergency

SOS in Morse code

SOS in Morse code is ··· −−− ···. It is 3 characters made of 6 dots and 3 dashes, and takes about 1.6 seconds to send at 20 words per minute.

Emergency

Message: SOS
In Morse code: ... --- ...
Characters: 3
Dots: 6
Dashes: 3
At 20 WPM: 1.6s

SOS · Emergency

dot dot dot break dash dash dash break dot dot dot

~1.6s

Speed20 WPM

Why SOS is worth knowing

SOS does not stand for anything. It was adopted in 1906 because its unbroken run of dots, dashes and dots is hard to mistake for anything else and easy to send under stress. "Save Our Souls" was invented afterwards to explain letters that were never an abbreviation.

This page plays SOS letter by letter, with the usual gap between letters, which takes about 1.6 seconds at 20 words per minute. On the air it is sent run together as one prosign, "...---...", with no gaps between the letters, which takes about 1.4 seconds.

The longer story is in the note What does SOS stand for?

SOS letter by letter

Each key is one character, sent with a short silence between them. Open any key to hear it on its own.

You can send SOS yourself by day 4 of the seven-day plan: that is when the last of its letters is taught.

Send it on the key Translate your own text See the Morse code tree

Common questions

What is SOS in Morse code?: SOS in Morse code is "... --- ...". SOS does not stand for anything. It was adopted in 1906 because its unbroken run of dots, dashes and dots is hard to mistake for anything else and easy to send under stress. "Save Our Souls" was invented afterwards to explain letters that were never an abbreviation.
How long does it take to send SOS in Morse code?: At 20 words per minute, SOS takes about 1.6 seconds to send. That counts its 6 dots and 3 dashes plus the silences between them, timed by the PARIS standard, in which one unit, the length of a dot, is 60 milliseconds at that speed. Sent the way operators send it, run together as one prosign with no gaps between the letters, it takes about 1.4 seconds.