Help in Morse Code

Timing at 20 WPM

International Morse timing is measured in units: a dot is 1 unit, a dash 3, the gap inside a character 1, the gap between letters 3 and the gap between words 7. At 20 words per minute, one unit is 1200 ÷ 20 = 60 ms.

In total, HELP is 37 units — 2.22 seconds at 20 WPM: 4 characters, 10 dots and 3 dashes. At a beginner's 5 WPM it would take 8.88 seconds.

Sound it out

Operators learn Morse as sound, not as dots to count. Say “di” for a dot inside a character, “dit” for a final dot and “dah” for a dash, with a pause between letters:

di-di-di-dit dit di-dah-di-dit di-dah-dah-dit

Letters in HELP that are easy to mix up

These letters differ from the ones in HELP by a single dot or dash — one flipped element, or one extra or missing at the end — so they are the usual misreadings when you are copying by ear or by light:

About HELP

Spelled out, HELP is four ordinary letters. But radio procedure does not use the word for emergencies: the internationally recognised Morse distress signal is SOS (···−−−···), sent as one continuous character. If you need to signal for help with a light, a whistle or by tapping, SOS is the pattern people are most likely to recognise.

Morse radio procedure also defines lesser levels of alarm. Under the US maritime rules in 47 CFR Part 80, which follow the ITU Radio Regulations, the radiotelegraph urgency signal is the group XXX sent three times (the voice equivalent is PAN PAN), for an urgent message about the safety of a ship, aircraft or person; the safety signal is TTT sent three times (voice: SECURITE), for navigational or weather warnings.

Related radio abbreviations

HELP in other codes

Convert your own text with the Morse code translator, the NATO alphabet converter or the binary translator, or print the Morse code alphabet.

Sources

• 47 CFR § 80.327 — Urgency signals and messages
• 47 CFR Part 80 — definitions of distress, urgency and safety signals