5 in Morse code

Hear 5 at your speed

Where 5 fits in the number pattern

All ten digits follow one rule, so learning the pattern teaches you every number. From 1 to 5 the dots grow from the left; from 6 to 0 the dashes do.

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
5. 5
6. 6
7. 7
8. 8
9. 9
10. 0

5 on a timing ruler

5 as a cut number

In contests and fast exchanges, operators often shorten digits to a letter, called a cut number. 5 is commonly cut to E (.), which saves 8 units every time. The listener knows a number is expected, so the letter cannot be misread.

Characters that sound like 5

These are the characters most often copied by mistake for 5, and why.

• 0-----Dots and dashes swapped
• 6-....One element different
• &.-...One element different
• 4....-One element different
• H....One element shorter

Can you hear the difference?

5 on the air

• The signal report 599 starts with 5 (readability 5 of 5). In contests it is sent as 5NN.
• Five dots is easy to miscount at speed. Hearing it as a rhythm, not a count, is what separates 5 from H (four dots) and S (three).

5 at a glance

Morse code

.....

Sounds like

di-di-di-di-dit

Length

9 units

At 20 WPM

540 ms

Cut number

E

Koch order

24 of 41, then Slash