Morse Code Symbols: Complete Chart, Punctuation & Special Signs
Morse code is best known for dots and dashes, but it includes much more than letters and numbers. Explore punctuation marks, procedural signals (prosigns), and operational symbols defined in the International Morse standard.
Morse Code Symbols Chart
Filter by category or search any symbol, name, or dot-dash pattern.
| Symbol | Name & Usage | Morse Code | Dit-Dah Pattern | Status | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | Period / Full stop End of a sentence | .-.-.- | di-dah-di-dah-di-dah | Official ITU | |
| , | Comma Separate parts of a sentence | --..-- | dah-dah-di-di-dah-dah | Official ITU | |
| : | Colon Introduce list or quote | ---... | dah-dah-dah-di-di-dit | Official ITU | |
| ? | Question mark Question / repetition request | ..--.. | di-di-dah-dah-di-dit | Official ITU | |
| ' | Apostrophe Contractions and possessives | .----. | di-dah-dah-dah-dah-dit | Official ITU | |
| - | Hyphen / Dash Compound words & breaks | -....- | dah-di-di-di-di-dah | Official ITU | |
| / | Fraction bar / Slash Slash punctuation (also word divider in text) | -..-. | dah-di-di-dah-dit | Official ITU | |
| ( | Left parenthesis Opening parenthesis | -.--. | dah-di-dah-dah-dit | Official ITU | |
| ) | Right parenthesis Closing parenthesis | -.--.- | dah-di-dah-dah-di-dah | Official ITU | |
| " | Quotation marks Direct speech & quotes | .-..-. | di-dah-di-di-dah-dit | Official ITU | |
| = | Equals / Double hyphen Transmission separator (<BT>) | -...- | dah-di-di-di-dah | Official ITU | |
| + | Cross / Addition sign Addition sign / End of Work (<AR>) | .-.-. | di-dah-di-dah-dit | Official ITU | |
| @ | Commercial at Email addresses & AC symbol | .--.-. | di-dah-dah-di-dah-dit | Official ITU | |
| — | Understood Signal for understood message | ...-. | di-di-di-dah-dit | Official ITU | |
| — | Error 8 dots error signal (backspace) | ........ | di-di-di-di-di-di-di-dit | Official ITU | |
| — | Invitation to transmit Go ahead signal (K) | -.- | dah-di-dah | Official ITU | |
| — | Wait Pause signal (<AS>) | .-... | di-dah-di-di-dit | Official ITU | |
| — | End of work Signing off signal (<SK>) | ...-.- | di-di-di-dah-di-dah | Official ITU | |
| — | Starting signal Commence transmission signal (<CT>) | -.-.- | dah-di-dah-di-dah | Official ITU | |
| × | Multiplication sign Multiplication (transmitted using X) | -..- | dah-di-di-dah | Official ITU | |
| ! | Exclamation mark Exclamation (widely used convention) | -.-.-- | dah-di-dah-di-dah-dah | Conventional | |
| ; | Semicolon Semicolon punctuation | -.-.-. | dah-di-dah-di-dah-dit | Conventional | |
| & | Ampersand And symbol (same pattern as Wait <AS>) | .-... | di-dah-di-di-dit | Conventional | |
| _ | Underscore Underline / underscore | ..--.- | di-di-dah-dah-di-dah | Conventional | |
| $ | Dollar sign US Currency symbol | ...-..- | di-di-di-dah-di-di-dah | Conventional |
Official Morse Code Symbols: What the ITU Standard Actually Defines
Online Morse charts do not always agree. Some charts call every commonly supported punctuation mark an “official” International Morse character. Others separate standardized characters from conventions used by radio operators or software.
For accuracy, the authoritative global specification is ITU-R M.1677-1, the International Telecommunication Union recommendation for International Morse code. Its annex lists letters, figures, punctuation, miscellaneous signs, spacing rules, and transmission procedures. The ITU lists this standard as In force (Main).
Official ITU-R M.1677-1 Scope
The official ITU list includes written punctuation such as period (.-.-.-), comma (--..--), question mark (..--..), apostrophe (.----.), hyphen (-....-), slash (-..-.), parentheses, quotation marks, plus sign, and commercial at sign (.--.-.). It also includes operational signals like Error (8 dots), Wait, Invitation to transmit, and End of work.
Morse Code Punctuation
Punctuation allows a Morse message to preserve the structure and meaning of written text. Below is the list of primary punctuation marks and their practical roles in Morse communications:
How to Use Morse Code Symbols & Timing Rules
Morse symbols are sent as individual characters with precise timing gaps between elements. International standard ITU-R M.1677-1 defines the mathematical timing structure:
Slash (/) vs Word Separator Notation
In typed Morse text, a slash / is frequently used as a visual separator between words (e.g. .... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- --- .-. .-.. -.. = HELLO WORLD). However, the actual Morse code for the slash character (-..-.) is transmitted only when a literal fraction bar or slash symbol is part of the message.
Worked Morse Code Examples
Common Morse Code Symbol Mistakes
Confusing the slash punctuation mark (-..-.) with written space notation (/). Always evaluate whether the slash is part of the text or a separator.
Assuming every symbol on informal web charts is ITU-standard. For example, exclamation mark (-.-.--) is a conventional software symbol, not an ITU written character.
A Morse character is defined by its element gaps. ..--.. is a question mark when sent as a single unit, but splitting elements changes the character meaning.
Confusing punctuation symbols with operational signals. .-.-. represents the plus sign in written text, but serves as End of Message (<AR>) in radio protocol.
Symbols That Do Not Have Their Own Morse Code
Not every keyboard symbol has a unique Morse character. This is an important distinction between modern digital keyboard character sets (such as ASCII or Unicode) and International Morse Code.
The ITU-R M.1677-1 standard specifies official transmission rules for signs that lack standalone Morse signals:
- Multiplication Sign (×): Transmitted using the Morse signal for letter
X(-..-). - Percentage Sign (%): Transmitted as a sequence of
0, fraction bar/, and0(e.g.2%is transmitted as2-0/0). - Per Mille Sign (‰): Transmitted as a sequence of
0, fraction bar/, and00(e.g.0/00).
Morse Code Symbols vs Prosigns
A punctuation symbol represents written text (such as periods or commas). A prosign (procedural signal) is an operational command sent without inter-character spacing to direct communication flow:
| Type | Symbol / Prosign | Morse Signal | Primary Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punctuation | Plus Sign (+) | .-.-. | Addition symbol in mathematical text |
| Prosign | <AR> (End of Message) | .-.-. | Signals conclusion of message block |
| Punctuation | Equals Sign (=) | -...- | Equality symbol in equations |
| Prosign | <BT> (Paragraph Break) | -...- | New paragraph separator signal |
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Takeaway & Standard References
Morse code symbols encompass punctuation, special signs, and operational signals. For reliable technical reference, rely on ITU-R M.1677-1 as the primary authority. Need to convert or decode full messages? Use our interactive tools below.