9 in Morse code
The number nine
9 in Morse code is ----., four dashes and then one dot, said dah-dah-dah-dah-dit. It is 1 played backwards and one of the slowest digits to send, so radio operators often cut it to the letter N. That is why the signal report 599 goes out on the air as 5NN.
----. (dash dash dash dash dot)
“dah-dah-dah-dah-dit”dash dash dash dash dot
5 elements · 1 dot, 4 dashes · 17 units
Hear it at your speed (WPM)
1133 ms at 18 WPM
9 at a glance
- Morse code
- ----.
- Said as
- dah-dah-dah-dah-dit
- Elements
- 5
- Length
- 17 units
- At 18 WPM
- 1133 ms
- Koch order
- 27 of 41Then 2
- Pattern
- 4 dashes, then 1 dot
- Cut number
- N, saves 12 unitsCommon in contests
Four dashes, then a dot
All ten digits are five elements long. From 6 on the leading dashes count up, so 9, five plus four, has four dashes and one dot. One more dash and you have 0, -----; one dash fewer and you have ---.., which is 8.
To read any digit, count the run at the front: dots give the value directly, dashes give the value minus five.
Hear it
- 0-----
- 8---..
9, 1, 4 and the open bracket
The digit 1:
.----is 9 in reverse.The digit 4:
....-is 9 with every dot and dash swapped.The open bracket:
-.--.is 9 with its second dash turned into a dot.
The Sound-alike drill is the quickest way to stop hearing 9 and 0, or 9 and 1, as the same thing.
Hear it
- 1.----
- 4....-
- (-.--.
599 and 5NN: cutting 9 to N
A signal report in the RST system gives readability, strength and tone, and 599 is the top mark: perfectly readable, extremely strong, perfect tone. Contest operators cut each 9 to N, -., which saves 12 of its 17 units, so the report goes out as ..... -. -., written 5NN.
A cut 9 only works when both sides expect figures. The cut forms of every digit are on the numbers page.
Hear it
- N-.
- 5NN..... -. -.
How long 9 takes, element by element
Morse timing counts in units: a dot is one, a dash three, and the gap inside a character one. At 18 words per minute a unit lasts about 66.7 ms.
- Four dashes take 12 units, 800 ms.
- One dot takes 1 unit, about 67 ms.
- The four gaps between the elements take 4 units, about 267 ms.
- The whole 9 takes 17 units, about 1.13 seconds.
As light, which this site holds to 7 words per minute, 9 takes about 2.9 seconds. The emergency number 911 in full is ----. .---- .----, three characters with letter gaps between them.
Hear it
- 911----. .---- .----
Characters to compare
Close to 9 in sound, so the likeliest mix-ups.
- 9 in reverse: 1, dot dash dash dash dash
- 9 with dots and dashes swapped: 4, dot dot dot dot dash
- 9 with its 2nd dash as a dot: Open bracket, dash dot dash dash dot
- 9 with its 4th dash as a dot: 8, dash dash dash dot dot
- 9 with its 5th dot as a dash: 0, dash dash dash dash dash
- The cut form of 9: N, dash dot
Which one did you hear?
Listen, then pick or type the one you heard.
Try 9 in a word
Tap 9 yourself
Press for a dot, hold for a dash. Space works too.
- Send
- ----.
- Yours
- Nothing yet
Questions about 9.
Are numbers in Morse code?
Yes. International Morse code, set out in ITU-R M.1677-1, gives each digit from 0 to 9 its own five-element signal. The numbers chart shows them all.
How do you read Morse code numbers?
Count the run at the front. Leading dots give the value from 1 to 5; leading dashes give five more than their count, and five dashes is 0. Four leading dashes therefore mean 9.
What does an underscore mean in Morse code?
The underscore has its own signal, ..--.-, though it is not part of the ITU standard. The underscore page has its sound and use.
Is N always 9 in Morse code?
No. N is a letter. It stands for 9 only as a cut number, in reports and contest exchanges where both stations expect figures.
Has 9 always been sent this way?
No. American (Railroad) Morse sent 9 as -..-, which International Morse reads as X.