Morse code mnemonics
Morse code mnemonics are systems to represent the sound of Morse characters in a way intended to be easy to remember. Since every one of these mnemonics requires a two-step mental translation between sound and character, none of these systems are useful for using manual Morse at practical speeds. Amateur radio clubs can provide resources to learn Morse code.
Cross-linguistic
Visual Mnemonic
Visual mnemonic charts have been devised over the ages. Baden-Powell included one in the Girl Guides handbook[1] in 1918.
Here is a more up-to-date version, ca. 1988:
Other visual mnemonic systems have been created for Morse code, mapping the elements of the Morse code characters onto pictures for easy memorization. For instance, "R" (▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄) might be represented as a "racecar" seen in a profile view, with the two wheels of the racecar being the dits and the body being the dah.
English
Syllabic mnemonics
Syllabic mnemonics are based on the principle of associating a word or phrase to each Morse code letter, with stressed syllables standing for a dah and unstressed ones for a dit. There is no well-known complete set of syllabic mnemonics for English, but various mnemonics do exist for individual letters.
Letter | Morse Code | Mnemonic |
---|---|---|
A | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | al-FA, al-THOUGH, a-GAIN, a-JAR or a-PART |
B | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | BE a good boy, BOB is the man or BOOT to the head |
C | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | CO-ca CO-la, CHAR-lie's AN-gels or COO-kie CLI-cker CHAR-lie CHAR-lie |
D | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | DOG did it, DOCK work-er, NEW or-leans or DRAC-u-la |
E | ▄▄▄▄ | eh? or hey! |
F | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | fetch a FIRE man,
did i FAIL it?, |
G | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | HOLE IN one!, GOO-GOL-plex (a 1 with a googol zeros), GOO-GLE-ad, GOOD GRAV-y or GOD LOVES it |
H | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | hitting the hip, ho-li-day-inn or hip-pi-ty hop |
I | ▄▄▄▄▄▄ | did it, dig-It, bom-bay or i-bid. |
J | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | in JAWS JAWS JAWS, the-JU-LIE JAY, he's-J-JONAH-JAMESON, where-FORE ART THOU? or i WANT YOU, JONES |
K | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | KAN-dy KID (candy kid), KICK the CAN, POUND for POUND or KANG-a-ROO |
L | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | a LIGHT is lit, to 'ELL with it!, he LOST his lid, li-MA pe-ru, li-BRA-ri-an, li-NO-le-um, a LADy bug or Los AN-ge-les |
M | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | MMMM-MMMM, MA-MA, LIKE MIKE or MORE MILK! |
N | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | NI-gel, NA-vy, NAZ-i, NOO-gie, AU-tumn or NU-dist |
O | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | O-RE-O, ONE OF US, HO HO HO, SUN-NY-DAY or OH! MY! GOD! |
P | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | a PIZ-ZA pie, pa-RADE PA-nel, of DOC-TOR good or did POP POP it |
Q | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | PAY-DAY to-DAY, QUEUE OV-er HERE, HERE COMES the BRIDE (queen), QUEEN’s WED-ding DAY or GOD SAVE the QUEEN QUEEN NEEDS a STEED |
R | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | ro-TA-tion, ro-MER-o or a RABB-it Br're RABB-it |
S | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | si-si-si, ts-ts-ts or ne-va-da |
T | ▄▄▄▄▄▄ | THRUST or TALL |
U | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | gid-dy UP, u-ni-FORM or un-der WHERE?! kiss a EWE |
V | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | Beet-ho-ven's FIFTH (V'th) vic-tor-y VEE vee-vee-vee VA |
W | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | the WORLD' WAR with WHITE WHALE mo WA WA |
X | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | X marks the SPOT, CROSS at the DOOR, ON-ly the BONES or EX-tra ex-PENSE |
Y | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | WHY did I DIE?, JACK and CO-KE, ON a PO-NY or YEL-low YO-YO YOU'RE a COOL DUDE |
Z | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | ZSA ZSA did it, SHA-KA zu-lu or ZINC ZOO-keep-er |
Character | Morse Code | Syllabic | Mnemonic |
---|---|---|---|
. | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | a STOP a STOP a STOP | Periods are also known as "full stops". |
, | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | COM-MA, it's a COM-MA | Self-explanatory. |
? | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | it's a QUES-TION, is it? | Self-explanatory. |
: | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | HA-WA-II stan-dard time | The clocks in Hawaii are always on standard time, and don't turn an hour ahead in the summer. |
/ | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | SHAVE and a HAIR-cut | The rhythm from the musical routine. see Shave and a Haircut. (NOTE: also Fraction Bar and Division Sign) |
" | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | six-TY-six nine-TY-nine | Quotation marks resemble a 66 at the beginning of a quote, and a 99 at the end of a quote. |
' | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | and THIS STUFF GOES TO me! | An apostrophe may be used to denote ownership of property. |
; | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | A-list, B-list, C-list | A semicolon may be used to group ordered lists in the same sentence. |
Slavic languages
In the Czech language, the mnemonic device to remember Morse codes lies in remembering words that begin with each appropriate letter and has so called long vowel (i.e. á é í ó ú ý) for every dash and short vowel (a e i o u y) for every dot. Additionally, some other theme-related sets of words have been thought out as Czech folklore.
Letter | Morse Code | Czech word | Translation | Alternative (folklore) | Translation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
A | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | akát | acacia | absťák | abstinence symptoms |
B | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | blýskavice | lightning storm | blít až doma | vomit until at home |
C | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | cílovníci | aiming sights | cíl je výčep | the target is the taproom |
D | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | dálnice | highway | dám jedno | I'll have one (beer) |
E | ▄▄▄▄ | erb | coat of arms | ex | one-sip-drinking |
F | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | Filipíny | Philippines | Fernet píše | the Fernet's pungent |
G | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | Grónská zem | the land of Greenland | grónský rum | rum of Greenland |
H | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | holubice | dove (female) | hruškovice | Pear brandy |
Ch | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | chléb nám dává | (he) gives us bread | chvátám k pípám | I rush to the faucets |
I | ▄▄▄▄▄▄ | ibis | Ibis | Iron | Iron (window cleaning agent with alcohol content) |
J | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | jasmín bílý | white Jasmine | Jabčák bílý | White Apple brandy |
K | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | království | kingdom | kýbl vín | pot of wines |
L | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | lední hokej | ice hockey | likéreček | little liquor |
M | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | mává | waving | mží z píp | it's sprinkling out of faucets |
N | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | národ | nation | návyk | habit |
O | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | ó náš pán | oh, our lord | ó můj líh | oh, my alcohol |
P | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | papírníci | paper-makers | pivní tácek | beer underpad |
Q | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | kvílí orkán | wailing hurricane | kvílím ožrán | I wail drunked |
R | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | rarášek | imp | rumíček | little rum |
S | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | sekera | axe | sud je tu | the barrel's here |
T | ▄▄▄▄▄▄ | tón | tone | té | tea |
U | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | učený | erudite | uchlastán | fully loaded |
V | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | vyvolený | the chosen one | vodka finská | Finnish vodka |
W | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | waltrův vůz | Walter's carriage | whiskou plout | to float through Whiskey |
X | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | Xénokratés | Xenocrates | k sýru burčák | new half-fermented wine with cheese |
Y | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | Ýgar mává | Ygar is waving | ý, jsem zlámán | ee, I'm a mess |
Z | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | Zrádná žena | perfidious woman | zlískám se hned | I get stoned quickly |
Indonesia
In Indonesia, one mnemonics commonly taught in scouting method to remember Morse codes lies in remembering words that begin with each appropriate letter and substituting the o vowel for every dash and other vowels (a, i, u, and e) for every dot.
Letter | Morse Code | Word |
---|---|---|
A | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | ano |
B | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | bonaparte |
C | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | coba-coba- |
D | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | dominan |
E | ▄▄▄▄ | egg |
F | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | father joe |
G | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | golongan |
H | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | himalaya |
I | ▄▄▄▄▄▄ | islam |
J | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | jago loro |
K | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | komando |
L | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | lemonade |
M | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | motor |
N | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | notes |
O | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | omono |
P | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | pertolongan |
Q | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | qomokaro |
R | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | rasome |
S | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | sahara |
T | ▄▄▄▄▄▄ | tom |
U | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | unesco |
V | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | versikaro |
W | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | wahono |
X | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | xosendero |
Y | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | yosimono |
Z | ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ | zoro-aster |
References
- ↑ "Girl Guiding by Lord Baden-Powell" (PDF). Pearson. 1938. Retrieved 2015-09-06.
Some people find it easier to remember the does [sic] and dashes by picturing them as forming the letters— thus:— (p61)