Z

Z in Morse code

--.. · dah dah dit dit

How to say it

Operators don’t say “dot dash” — they say dah dah dit dit. Saying the rhythm out loud is the quickest way to make it stick.

Mnemonic

Think: ZINC ZOO-keeper. Stressed syllables are dahs, unstressed are dits. Use it to get started, then drop it — at real speed you won’t have time to think.

Timing

2 dits and 2 dahs. A dah is three times the length of a dit, with a one-dit gap between each symbol. The whole letter is 11 units long.

Where you learn it

In the Koch order DotDash uses, Z is character number 27 of 40. You learn it by sound at full speed, with a new character unlocked each time you reach 90% accuracy.

Learn Z and the other 39 by ear

DotDash teaches you Morse code in five minutes a day — free on iOS and Android.

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