T in Morse code

T is dash in International Morse code, said “dah”. It has 1 element and lasts 3 units, which is 180 ms at 20 WPM.

T on a timing ruler

Dots last one unit, dashes three, and the gaps inside the letter one unit each. The numbers under the ruler are the length of each part.

How to remember T

Add a dot and you get N or a dash and you get M.
Say it out loud as “dah”. Learning the rhythm, not counting dots and dashes, is what lets you recognise it at speed.
T is character 10 of 41 in the Koch learning order, followed by L. Practise it in the Koch trainer.

Letters that sound like T

These are the letters most often copied by mistake for T, and why.

Can you hear the difference?

Listen, then pick the one you heard.

T on the air

In contests T stands in for 0 (a “cut number”), so 100 can be sent as 1TT.
TU is shorthand for “thank you”.

T at a glance

Morse code: -
Sounds like: dah
Length: 3 units
At 20 WPM: 180 ms
NATO word: Tango
Frequency in English: 9.1% (2nd of 26)

Sources: codes from ITU-R M.1677-1, the International Morse code standard; English letter frequencies from Robert Lewand’s analysis; American Morse from the historical US telegraph code.

Hear T at your speed