Plus sign in Morse code
Written “+”, in the ITU standard
The plus sign (+) in Morse code is .-.-., said di-dah-di-dah-dit: dot and dash twice, then a dot. The ITU standard calls it the cross or addition sign. On the air it is better known as AR, the signal that ends a message, sent as one sound. Add a final dash and it becomes the period, so the last element matters.
.-.-. (dot dash dot dash dot)
“di-dah-di-dah-dit”dot dash dot dash dot
5 elements · 3 dots, 2 dashes · 13 units
Hear it at your speed (WPM)
867 ms at 18 WPM
The plus sign at a glance
- Morse code
- .-.-.
- Said as
- di-dah-di-dah-dit
- Elements
- 5
- Length
- 13 units
- At 18 WPM
- 867 ms
- ITU standard
- Yes
- Sounds like
- ARLetters run together
- Also a procedural signal
- ARend of message
- Also called
- Cross
Cross or addition sign
ITU-R M.1677-1 lists .-.-. as the cross or addition sign. In a sum it is plus, as in 2+2, the sum in this page's practice box. In message handling the standard calls it the cross signal and gives it a fixed place at the end.
AR: end of message
Part II of the standard ends every telegram with the cross signal, and marks the end of a transmission with the cross followed by K, the invitation to transmit.
Radio amateurs call the signal AR and send it as one, with no gap between A and R, when a message is complete. The contact can go on afterward; SK, ...-.-, is the signal that closes it.
Hear it
- SK...-.-
Hearing it: dot-dash twice and a dot
Five elements alternating short and long and ending short, about 0.87 seconds at 18 WPM. Wikipedia's table also writes it RN, an R flowing into an N.
Hear it
- ..-.-.-
- &.-...
- AR.- .-.
Characters to compare
Close to the plus sign in sound, so the likeliest mix-ups.
- Plus sign plus a dash: Period, dot dash dot dash dot dash
- Plus sign with its 4th dash as a dot: Ampersand, dot dash dot dot dot
- The other prosign in a sum: Equals sign, dash dot dot dot dash
Which one did you hear?
Listen, then pick or type the one you heard.
Try the plus sign in a word
Tap the plus sign yourself
Press for a dot, hold for a dash. Space works too.
- Send
- .-.-.
- Yours
- Nothing yet
Questions about Plus sign.
What is the difference between AR and SK?
AR ends a message, and the contact may continue. SK is the ITU end of work signal: it closes the whole contact. A typical sign-off sends AR after the last message and SK at the very end.
What is two in Morse code?
The digit 2 is ..---, two dots then three dashes. A sum such as 2+2 is ..--- .-.-. ..---, with the plus sign between the figures and normal letter gaps.
Are there different types of Morse code?
Yes. International Morse, the version on this page, is used worldwide; American (Railroad) Morse was the US landline code and used different signals for many marks. The American Morse code guide compares them.
Is there a translator for Morse code?
Yes. This site's Morse code translator turns typed text into Morse and back. Type + and it gives the five-element cross signal; the same signal is what a decoder shows when it hears AR.