Morse code alphabet
E in Morse Code
The letter E in Morse code is . — spoken "dit". Press play to hear it, flash it as light, or copy the code.
What does . mean in Morse code?
. is the letter E in International Morse code. The code is made of 1 dit (short) and 0 dahs (long), which is why it is read aloud as "dit". It takes 1 time units to send — at a standard 20 words per minute that is roughly 60 milliseconds.
E is a single dit — the shortest code in the entire system. Samuel Morse assigned it on purpose: E is the most common letter in English, so the most frequent letter got the quickest signal.
How E is timed
Morse timing is built from one unit — the length of a dit. A dah is three units, and there is one silent unit between the symbols of a letter. Here is E drawn to scale:
How to remember E
Say the phrase eh! to the rhythm of the code — the stressed syllables are the dahs, the rest are dits. Hear it a few times with the player above and the phrase will come back by itself.
Easy to confuse with
When you are learning by ear, these codes sound close to E:
Words that start with E
E at a glance
| Morse code | . |
|---|---|
| Spoken | dit |
| Symbols | 1 dit, 0 dahs |
| Length | 1 units · ≈60 ms at 20 WPM |
| NATO phonetic | Echo |
| Frequency in English | ≈12.7% — #1 of 26 letters |
| Position in alphabet | 5 of 26 |
| Reversed | same code backwards (palindrome) |
Frequently asked questions
How do you write E in Morse code?
The letter E is written . — 1 dit and 0 dahs. Spoken aloud it is "dit".
What does . mean in Morse code?
. is the letter E E in International Morse code. If you see or hear "dit", it stands for E.How long does E take to send?
E lasts 1 time units (a dit is 1 unit, a dah is 3, with 1 unit between symbols). At 20 WPM that is about 60 ms; at a beginner speed of 12 WPM about 100 ms — plus a 3-unit pause before the next character.
What is the NATO phonetic word for E?
In the NATO phonetic alphabet E is "Echo". Radio operators often say the word and then send . so the letter cannot be misheard.