Morse Code Numbers 0–9: Full Chart and How to Remember Them

Numbers in Morse code are more regular than letters: every digit is exactly five symbols long. No exceptions — all ten digits from 0 to 9 take the same amount of space.

Morse code number chart

The rule that replaces memorisation

The digits follow a system. Understand it once and you never need the chart again.

1 through 5 — the number of dots equals the digit, and dashes fill the rest up to five:

• 1 → one dot, four dashes: ·––––
• 3 → three dots, two dashes: ···––
• 5 → five dots: ·····

6 through 0 — the mirror image. Dashes come first, then dots:

• 6 → one dash, four dots: –····
• 8 → three dashes, two dots: –––··
• 0 → five dashes: –––––

The checkpoints are easy: 5 is all dots, 0 is all dashes, and everything in between slides smoothly from one to the other.

Timing

Numbers follow the same timing rules as letters:

• dot — one unit
• dash — three units
• gap between symbols within a digit — one unit
• gap between digits — three units
• gap between groups — seven units

Multi-digit numbers are sent one digit at a time. The number 143 is 1, then 4, then 3:

`

·–––– ····– ···––

`

There is no separate code for "hundred" or "thousand", so 100 is sent as ·–––– ––––– –––––.

Abbreviated numerals

Amateur radio operators sometimes use cut numbers, shortening long dash runs: 0 sent as – (the letter T), or 9 as –· (the letter N). These are informal contest shortcuts that save time. For ordinary signalling, use the full five-symbol codes — everyone understands those.

Sending numbers by flashlight

Signalling digits with light works exactly like letters: a short flash is a dot, a long flash is a dash. Because every digit takes five symbols, numbers take noticeably longer to send than words — which is why signallers often rephrase to avoid them, sending "at 5" rather than "at 17:00".

A useful receiving tip: if you count exactly five symbols with no internal gap, it is almost certainly a digit rather than a letter.

Test yourself

Try reading this: ··––– ––––– ··–––

Answer: 2, 0, 2 — the number 202.

Try it in practice

The fastest way to learn the digits is to use them. The Morse Code app lets you send numbers by flashlight, decode incoming signals with your camera, and drill them in an interactive learning mode — all offline.

Download free for iOS or Android.