-·· ·· -
Learn morse code by using it, not by staring at a chart.
dashdot is a free, browser-based morse code trainer and chat room. Drill your copying speed against real audio, practise sending with your space bar or a real straight key, and then do the thing charts can never teach you — hold a conversation in morse with another person.
Start your first drill Listen in on a channel No account, no download, no cost.
What you can do here
Copy practice
Random character groups played as real CW. Type what you hear and every letter is graded as you go, with accuracy, effective speed and a streak.
Send practice
Key with the space bar, a two-key paddle, or plug in a real straight key and let your microphone read it. Your fist decodes live as you send.
Morse chat
Public channels for beginners, ragchewers and elmers, plus private rooms you open with an invite code. Messages arrive as audio; letters are optional.
Translator and reference
Convert text to morse and back, hear any word at your own speed, and keep the full chart one click away in a side drawer.
How people actually learn morse
Every operator who ever got fast learned by sound. A chart teaches you that A is dot-dash; it does not teach you to hear didah and think "A" without translating. That gap is why most beginners stall around five words per minute, and it is the only thing dashdot is built to close.
Two characters at full character speed, wide gaps between them. You learn the rhythm of a letter, not a row in a table.
The Koch order introduces the next character only once the previous set is comfortable, so you are always practising at the edge of your ability.
Nothing consolidates a character like needing it in a conversation. Chat pushes you from drilling into operating, which is where fluency happens.
Common questions
Is dashdot free?
Yes. Every drill, channel and tool on the site is free, with no account required and nothing to install.
How long does it take to learn morse code?
Most people can copy a handful of characters in a single session. Reaching a conversational 15–20 wpm typically takes a few months of short daily practice — fifteen focused minutes beats an hour once a week.
What is the Koch method?
You begin at full target speed with just two characters and add another only when you are copying accurately. It avoids the plateau caused by learning slowly and speeding up later.
What is Farnsworth spacing?
Characters are sent at full speed while the silence between them is stretched. Your ear learns the correct rhythm from day one; the gaps close as you get faster.
Can I use my own straight key or paddle?
Yes. Enable the microphone input and dashdot listens to your key's sidetone, timing your dits and dahs as you send them.
Do I need an amateur radio licence?
Not to use this site. Morse is a skill anyone can learn — though if you do go on to get licensed, CW is still one of the most rewarding modes on the air.
Your first letter takes about ninety seconds.
Start with two characters at full speed, add one at a time, and key your first real message to someone this week.
Open the trainer