ITU-R M.1677-1 · 13 standard, 5 common
Punctuation in Morse code
Yes, Morse code has punctuation: the ITU standard defines 13 marks, from the period to @, and 5 more are in common use.
Type a sentence below to see and hear its marks, or open any mark for its code, sound and uses.
Translate a sentence with punctuation
Try an example:
Each letter shows here with its dots and dashes. Select one to play from it.
Each mark is sent like a letter, with a letter gap on both sides. Press Letter by letter to see every mark’s code on its own. Speed, tone, light and code tables work as in the main translator.
In the standard · solid cards
The 13 marks in the ITU standard
ITU-R M.1677-1, the recommendation that defines International Morse code, lists these marks in its table of punctuation and miscellaneous signs. Nine of the 13 are six elements long, while no letter is longer than 4 and no digit longer than 5, so punctuation is the slowest part of a message to send. Press play on a card, open it for its own page, or hear all 13 in a row.
Period to @: 19 seconds at 18 WPM.
The multiplication sign is in the same table, but its signal is the letter X, so it has no card of its own.
Not in the standard · dashed cards
Five marks outside the standard
The exclamation mark, ampersand, semicolon, underscore and dollar sign are on most charts, and translators send them, this site’s included, but the ITU never defined them. Their codes come from habit, so a careful operator spells them out when it matters.
- The exclamation mark’s
-.-.--was proposed by Heathkit in the 1980s. Some North American operators still send---., the older form from landline telegraphy, so you may hear either one. - The ampersand shares its code with the ITU wait signal, so operators write ES for “and” instead.
- The ITU never coded a currency sign. The dollar sign comes from SX, an old telegraph abbreviation for dollars; codes such as USD are clearer.
- Exclamation mark: code, sound and usesExclamation markdash dot dash dot dash dash
Sounds like KW run together
Not in the standard - Ampersand: code, sound and usesAmpersanddot dash dot dot dot
Sounds like AS run together
Not in the standard - Semicolon: code, sound and usesSemicolondash dot dash dot dash dot
Sounds like KR run together
Not in the standard - Underscore: code, sound and usesUnderscoredot dot dash dash dot dash
Sounds like UK run together
Not in the standard - Dollar sign: code, sound and usesDollar signdot dot dot dash dot dot dash
Sounds like SX run together
Not in the standard
Every mark at a glance
All 18 marks in one table: the code, the letters it sounds like when run together, and how long it takes at 18 WPM, where one unit lasts 66.7 ms. Open a name for the mark’s own page.
| Mark | Code |
|---|---|
| Period17 units · ITUITU | dot dash dot dash dot dash |
| Comma19 units · ITUITU | dash dash dot dot dash dash |
| Colon17 units · ITUITU | dash dash dash dot dot dot |
| Question mark15 units · ITUITU | dot dot dash dash dot dot |
| Apostrophe19 units · ITUITU | dot dash dash dash dash dot |
| Hyphen15 units · ITUITU | dash dot dot dot dot dash |
| Slash13 units · ITUITU | dash dot dot dash dot |
| Open bracket15 units · ITUITU | dash dot dash dash dot |
| Close bracket19 units · ITUITU | dash dot dash dash dot dash |
| Quotation mark15 units · ITUITU | dot dash dot dot dash dot |
| Equals sign13 units · ITUITU | dash dot dot dot dash |
| Plus sign13 units · ITUITU | dot dash dot dash dot |
| At sign17 units · ITUITU | dot dash dash dot dash dot |
| Exclamation mark19 units · Not in the standardNot in the standard | dash dot dash dot dash dash |
| Ampersand11 units · Not in the standardNot in the standard | dot dash dot dot dot |
| Semicolon17 units · Not in the standardNot in the standard | dash dot dash dot dash dot |
| Underscore17 units · Not in the standardNot in the standard | dot dot dash dash dot dash |
| Dollar sign17 units · Not in the standardNot in the standard | dot dot dot dash dot dot dash |
The longest marks to send are the comma, apostrophe, close bracket and exclamation mark, at 19 units each (1.27 s). The letter E takes 1 unit.
Punctuation in real sentences
A mark sits right against the word before it, with only a letter gap, and the word gap comes after it. Type no space before a mark, as in written English. Press play to hear one.
| Mark | Sentence |
|---|---|
| Period . | SEE YOU AT NOON.Ends a sentencedot dot dot, dot, dot; dash dot dash dash, dash dash dash, dot dot dash; dot dash, dash; dash dot, dash dash dash, dash dash dash, dash dot, dot dash dot dash dot dash |
| Comma , | YES, PLEASEJoined to YESdash dot dash dash, dot, dot dot dot, dash dash dot dot dash dash; dot dash dash dot, dot dash dot dot, dot, dot dash, dot dot dot, dot |
| Question mark ? | WHERE ARE YOU?Ends a questiondot dash dash, dot dot dot dot, dot, dot dash dot, dot; dot dash, dot dash dot, dot; dash dot dash dash, dash dash dash, dot dot dash, dot dot dash dash dot dot |
| Apostrophe ' | IT'S MEInside the worddot dot, dash, dot dash dash dash dash dot, dot dot dot; dash dash, dot |
| Exclamation mark ! | WELL DONE!Outside the standarddot dash dash, dot, dot dash dot dot, dot dash dot dot; dash dot dot, dash dash dash, dash dot, dot, dash dot dash dot dash dash |
| Quotation mark " | HE SAID "GO"The same code opens and closesdot dot dot dot, dot; dot dot dot, dot dash, dot dot, dash dot dot; dot dash dot dot dash dot, dash dash dot, dash dash dash, dot dash dot dot dash dot |
| Colon : | MEET AT 5:30Between the digitsdash dash, dot, dot, dash; dot dash, dash; dot dot dot dot dot, dash dash dash dot dot dot, dot dot dot dash dash, dash dash dash dash dash |
| Hyphen - | WALKIE-TALKIEInside the worddot dash dash, dot dash, dot dash dot dot, dash dot dash, dot dot, dot, dash dot dot dot dot dash, dash, dot dash, dot dash dot dot, dash dot dash, dot dot, dot |
| At sign @ | ME@EXAMPLE.COMAn email addressdash dash, dot, dot dash dash dot dash dot, dot, dash dot dot dash, dot dash, dash dash, dot dash dash dot, dot dash dot dot, dot, dot dash dot dash dot dash, dash dot dash dot, dash dash dash, dash dash |
So YES, PLEASE is -.-- . ... --..-- for the first word, then a word gap, then PLEASE.
How operators write punctuation
On the air, punctuation is used far less than on paper. Operators drop most marks, and the ones they keep often work as signals.
Most marks are left out
Marks are long, and a short exchange of names, reports and abbreviations reads fine without them, so many operators send few of them. A pause often does the job of a comma or a period.
Source: K3WWP; ARRL
= breaks a message into parts
The ITU sends the double hyphen between the parts of a telegram, such as the text and the signature. Hams send it as BT, like a new paragraph or a breath between topics.
TNX FER CALL = UR RST 579Thanks for the call, break, your report is 579dash, dash dot, dash dot dot dash; dot dot dash dot, dot, dot dash dot; dash dot dash dot, dot dash, dot dash dot dot, dot dash dot dot; dash dot dot dot dash; dot dot dash, dot dash dot; dot dash dot, dot dot dot, dash; dot dot dot dot dot, dash dash dot dot dot, dash dash dash dash dotSource: ITU-R M.1677-1, Part II §3
? asks to repeat, or makes a question
Sent alone, the question mark asks for a repeat of what was not copied. After a Q-code it turns the code into a question.
QTH?Where are you?dash dash dot dash, dash, dot dot dot dot, dot dot dash dash dot dotSource: ITU-R M.1677-1, Part I §1.1.3; ARRL
+ ends a message
Every telegram ends with the cross signal, sent as AR, and the end of a transmission is AR followed by K.
CU AGN + KSee you again, end of message, overdash dot dash dot, dot dot dash; dot dash, dash dash dot, dash dot; dot dash dot dash dot; dash dot dashSource: ITU-R M.1677-1, Part II §5 and §6
Radiograms use X for a period
Formal ARRL messages carry no punctuation in the text. An X stands in for a period, R for a decimal point, and other marks are spelled out, such as DASH or QUERY. The slash is allowed.
ARRIVED SAFE X LOVE MOMArrived safe. Love, Momdot dash, dot dash dot, dot dash dot, dot dot, dot dot dot dash, dot, dash dot dot; dot dot dot, dot dash, dot dot dash dot, dot; dash dot dot dash; dot dash dot dot, dash dash dash, dot dot dot dash, dot; dash dash, dash dash dash, dash dashSource: ARRL Network Reference Manual
Quotes go on both sides
The quotation mark is sent before and after the quoted words. Where a code converter is in the way, the ITU allows the apostrophe twice on each side instead.
Source: ITU-R M.1677-1, Part I §3.4
Marks that double as signals
Four codes do two jobs. Inside a sentence they are punctuation; standing alone between words, they are almost always the procedural signal, so read them from where they fall.
- Open bracket (()As a signal, KN: “go ahead, only the station I am working” (amateur practice).dash dot dash dash dot
- Equals sign (=)As a signal, BT: the break between parts of a message.dash dot dot dot dash
- Plus sign (+)As a signal, AR: “end of message”.dot dash dot dash dot
- Ampersand (&)As a signal, AS: the ITU “wait” signal.dot dash dot dot dot
Some operators also send the close-bracket code for both brackets, since the open bracket is heard as KN.
Marks with no Morse code
These are on every keyboard but not in the code. The ITU says what to send for some of them; for the rest, operators write the word. Here is what to send, and what the translator on this page does with each.
- …Ellipsis
- What to send
- No code. Send three periods, or simply pause.
- In the translator
- Type three periods. The single … character is left out.
- %Percent
- What to send
- 0/0, joined to the number by a hyphen: 2% goes as 2-0/0 (ITU §3.3).
- In the translator
- Type 2-0/0. The % sign is left out.
- ‰Per mille
- What to send
- 0/00, joined the same way (ITU §3.3).
- In the translator
- Type 0/00. The ‰ sign is left out.
- ×Multiplication sign
- What to send
- The letter X (ITU §3.2).
- In the translator
- Type X. The × sign is left out.
- ′ ″Minute and second signs
- What to send
- The apostrophe, once or twice: 1′15″ goes as 1'15'' (ITU §3.5).
- In the translator
- Type the apostrophes. ′ and ″ are left out.
- — –Em and en dash
- What to send
- The hyphen, which the ITU names “hyphen or dash”.
- In the translator
- Type a hyphen. — and – are left out.
- #Number sign
- What to send
- No code. Write NR or the word.
- In the translator
- Type NR. The # sign is left out.
- *Asterisk
- What to send
- No code. Write the word, or leave it off.
- In the translator
- Left out.
- “ ” ‘ ’Curly quotes
- What to send
- The plain quotation mark and apostrophe, the only ones Morse has.
- In the translator
- Type them as they are: they go out as the plain marks.
- ¿ ¡Spanish opening marks
- What to send
- The question mark and the exclamation mark.
- In the translator
- Type them as they are: they go out as ? and !.
Print or download the chart
Print this page for all 18 cards, split by the standard, or save it as a PDF from the print dialog. For one sheet with the letters, the digits and the 13 ITU marks, download the full chart for A4 or US Letter.
Good questions
Frequently asked questions.
About punctuation in Morse code
Is there a Morse code for punctuation?
Yes. ITU-R M.1677-1 gives codes for 13 marks: the period, comma, colon, question mark, apostrophe, hyphen, slash, both brackets, quotation mark, equals sign, plus sign and @.
The 5 others on most charts, ! & ; _ $, are common but not standard. See every mark at a glance, or all the Morse code symbols in one table with the letters and numbers.
How do you write a question mark in Morse code?
Send ..--.., said di-di-dah-dah-di-dit: two dots, two dashes, two dots. Alone, it asks the other station to repeat.
After a Q-code it makes a question, so QTH? asks where you are. The question mark page has its sound and look-alikes.
What does a period look like in Morse code?
A period is .-.-.-, dot dash three times, 17 units or 1.13 s at 18 WPM. On the air, operators usually end a sentence with a pause or BT instead, and ARRL radiograms use the letter X. More on the period page.
Is there an exclamation mark in Morse code?
Not in the ITU standard. Translators, this one included, send -.-.--, proposed by Heathkit in the 1980s.
Some North American operators use the older ---. from landline telegraphy. When it matters, write the word out.
What do = and + mean in Morse code?
In text they are the equals and plus signs. Alone, -...- is BT, a break between parts of a message, and .-.-. is AR, the end of a message. The ITU defines both uses, and on the air the signal meaning is far more common.
How do you write an ellipsis in Morse code?
Morse has no ellipsis. Send three periods, .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.- with a letter gap between them, or just pause. Three dots written on their own, ..., are the letter S, a common trap in puzzles.
How do you send “I love you” in Morse code?
I LOVE YOU is .. / .-.. --- ...- . / -.-- --- ..-, three words with no punctuation needed. Add -.-.-- at the end only if the reader knows the extended chart. The I love you page plays it and shows other ways to send it.
Is Morse code difficult to learn?
The letters take most people weeks by ear. Punctuation is the slow part, since most marks are six elements long.
The Koch method course teaches the 5 marks heard most, . = , / ?, among its 41 characters. See how long it takes.
Is Morse code still relevant?
Yes. Ham radio operators use it every day, radio beacons identify themselves in it, and people who type with one or two switches use it on phones. The ITU added @ in 2004 so email addresses could be sent. See who still uses Morse code.
Sources
- ITURecommendation ITU-R M.1677-1: International Morse codeThe standard · Used for the 13 marks, the signals they share, and what to send for %, ‰, × and quotes
- WikipediaMorse code: symbol representationsUsed for the marks outside the standard, Heathkit’s !, $ and @
- WikipediaProsigns for Morse codeUsed for BT, AR, KN and AS
- ARRLNetwork Reference Manual, ch. 3: Sending messages on CWPDFUsed for X for a period, R for a decimal point
- K3WWPCW - Morse code punctuationUsed for one code for both brackets, and how rarely ! is sent
Last checked November 2026
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