Morse Code Punctuation — All 20 ITU Symbols, Chart, Audio & Quiz
All 20 ITU standard punctuation marks with pattern families, prosign connections, visual cheat sheet, audio for every symbol, and a tiered practice quiz.
Every symbol below is standardized by ITU-R M.1677-1. Unlike letters (1–4 signals) and numbers (5 signals), punctuation uses 4 to 7 signals — the longest codes in the Morse alphabet. Click any card to play, copy, or jump to its detail.
All 20 Morse Code Punctuation Marks
Filter by category or click any symbol card to hear its rhythm.
| Symbol | Name | Morse Code | Pattern | Family | Prosign | Signals | Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | Period / Full Stop | .-.-.- | Alternating | — | 6 | ||
| , | Comma | --..-- | Mirror Pairs | — | 6 | ||
| ? | Question Mark | ..--.. | Mirror Pairs | — | 6 | ||
| ! | Exclamation Mark | -.-.-- | Prosigns | KW | 6 | ||
| ; | Semicolon | -.-.-. | Alternating | — | 6 | ||
| : | Colon | ---... | Triple Block | — | 6 | ||
| ' | Apostrophe | .----. | Bookend | — | 6 | ||
| ¿ | Inverted Question Mark | ..-.- | Other | — | 5 | ||
| ¡ | Inverted Exclamation Mark | --...- | Other | — | 6 | ||
| " | Quotation Mark | .-..-. | Other | — | 6 | ||
| ( | Open Parenthesis | -.--. | Prosigns | KN | 5 | ||
| ) | Close Parenthesis | -.--.- | Prosigns | KK | 6 | ||
| - | Hyphen / Minus | -....- | Bookend | — | 6 | ||
| / | Slash / Fraction Bar | -..-. | Prosigns | DN | 5 | ||
| + | Plus / Cross | .-.-. | Prosigns | AR | 5 | ||
| = | Equals / Double Dash | -...- | Prosigns | BT | 5 | ||
| $ | Dollar Sign | ...-..- | Triple Block | — | 7 | ||
| _ | Underscore | ..--.- | Other | — | 6 | ||
| & | Ampersand / Wait | .-... | Prosigns | AS | 5 | ||
| @ | At Sign | .--.-. | Other | — | 6 |
Pattern Families — Learn the Shape, Not the Code
All 20 punctuation marks fall into five visual families. Learn a family's pattern once and every member becomes obvious. Click any symbol to hear it, or click Drill Family to hear the whole group with a guided overlay.
Alternating
Dot-dash or dash-dot repeated — tick-tock rhythm
Mirror Pairs
Symmetric around the centre — swap dots ↔ dashes
Comma and question mark are perfect mirrors — learn one and you know the other.
Bookend
Same signal at both ends wrapping the middle
Triple Block
Three of one kind, then a different block
Prosigns
Same as a CW procedural signal — learn the word
Prosign Connections — Learn as Words, Not Patterns
Seven punctuation marks are identical to CW prosigns — procedural signals every ham operator knows. The prosign word gives you a memory hook far more powerful than dot-dash sequences. Prosigns are sent without the inter-letter gap, as a single fused unit.
| Symbol | Morse Code | Prosign | CW Meaning | Memory Hook |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .-... | AS | Wait / Stand By | "AS = And Stand by" — ampersand means "and wait" | |
| -...- | BT | Break / New Section | "BT = Break Transmission" — equals separates sections like a paragraph break | |
| .-.-. | AR | End of Message | "AR = All Received" — plus sign closes the transmission | |
| -..-. | DN | Fraction / Division | "DN = Division Number" — the slash divides | |
| -.--. | KN | Go Ahead (named station) | "KN = Known station only" — opens a directed call | |
| -.--.- | KK | Closing Parenthesis | Open paren KN + extra dash = closing | |
| -.-.-- | KW | Urgency / Keep Working | "KW = Keep Working!" — urgency in two letters |
Click any symbol in the table above to hear it. These seven prosigns are the easiest punctuation to learn because you already know the word — you just need to connect the word to the sound.
Visual Cheat Sheet — All 20 Patterns in One Card
Fast-reference card organized by pattern family. Click any row to hear it. Bookmark this section or print it for desk reference.
Punctuation Tools
Sentence Encoder
Type any sentence with punctuation and see it encoded instantly in Morse. Supports all 20 ITU marks plus letters and numbers.
Practice Trainer
Hear a random Morse punctuation mark and type the symbol. Adjust speed with the slider.
Practice Quiz — Both Directions
Test encoding (symbol → Morse) and decoding (Morse → symbol). Start with Tier 1 — the 6 most common symbols — before tackling all 20.
Each Morse Code Punctuation Symbol in Detail
Every mark has its own anchor section with mnemonic, tap pattern, and usage examples — linkable directly, e.g. /morse-code-punctuation/#ps-46.
Period / Full Stop in Morse Code
Alternating3 dots · 3 dashes · 6 signals · Family: Alternating
Alternating dot-dash, three times — "dit-dah-dit-dah-dit-dah." The definitive alternating symbol. Imagine a ticking clock coming to a stop.
73.CQ DE W1AW.End of sentence.Comma in Morse Code
Mirror Pairs2 dots · 4 dashes · 6 signals · Family: Mirror Pairs
Two dashes, two dots, two dashes — a perfect mirror through the centre. Comma is dash-heavy; its mirror pair the question mark is dot-heavy.
PSE QSL, TNXHello, world!Question Mark in Morse Code
Mirror Pairs4 dots · 2 dashes · 6 signals · Family: Mirror Pairs
Two dots, two dashes, two dots — mirror of the comma. Dot-heavy where the comma is dash-heavy. Imagine your voice rising at the end of a sentence.
QRZ?RST?What is ur name?Exclamation Mark in Morse Code
Prosigns2 dots · 4 dashes · 6 signals · Family: Prosigns
Dash-dot-dash-dot-dash-dash. The KW prosign — "Keep Working!" Think of urgency encoded in two letters.
Emergency!Mayday!CQ!Semicolon in Morse Code
Alternating3 dots · 3 dashes · 6 signals · Family: Alternating
Alternating dash-dot three times — the mirror of the period. Dash first instead of dot. "Dah-dit-dah-dit-dah-dit."
Clause one; clause twoLog; date; timeColon in Morse Code
Triple Block3 dots · 3 dashes · 6 signals · Family: Triple Block
Three dashes then three dots — the Triple Block pattern. Like Morse 0 compressed together with Morse 5: three of one kind, then three of the other.
14:30 UTCFreq: 14.225 MHzApostrophe in Morse Code
Bookend2 dots · 4 dashes · 6 signals · Family: Bookend
Dot, four dashes, dot — a dash sandwich with dot bookends. Opposite of the hyphen which uses dash bookends around four dots.
It'sO'clockDon'tInverted Question Mark in Morse Code
Other3 dots · 2 dashes · 5 signals · Family: Other
Five signals: dot-dot-dash-dot-dash. The Spanish and Latin American convention for the inverted question used at the start of a question sentence in Spanish.
¿Cómo estás?Spanish CWInverted Exclamation Mark in Morse Code
Other3 dots · 3 dashes · 6 signals · Family: Other
Six signals: dash-dash-dot-dot-dot-dash. The Spanish ITU addition for inverted exclamation used at the opening of exclamatory sentences in Spanish.
¡Hola!Spanish CWQuotation Mark in Morse Code
Other4 dots · 2 dashes · 6 signals · Family: Other
Six signals: dot-dash-dot-dot-dash-dot. Think of the letters A and F merged without a gap. One of the less common marks in CW practice.
"QRZ""Roger"Open Parenthesis in Morse Code
Prosigns2 dots · 3 dashes · 5 signals · Family: Prosigns
Five signals: dash-dot-dash-dash-dot. The KN prosign — "go ahead, named station only." Opening a parenthesis opens a directed conversation.
(relay)(W1AW)Close Parenthesis in Morse Code
Prosigns2 dots · 4 dashes · 6 signals · Family: Prosigns
Six signals: dash-dot-dash-dash-dot-dash. Open parenthesis KN plus one extra dash appended at the end. The KK variant.
(end relay)(73)Hyphen / Minus in Morse Code
Bookend4 dots · 2 dashes · 6 signals · Family: Bookend
Dash, four dots, dash — a dot sandwich with dash bookends. Opposite of the apostrophe which has dot bookends around four dashes.
144-148 MHzSWR 1-1.5Slash / Fraction Bar in Morse Code
Prosigns3 dots · 2 dashes · 5 signals · Family: Prosigns
Five signals: dash-dot-dot-dash-dot. The DN prosign — "division number." One of the shortest punctuation marks, same length as any number.
3/4km/hUTC/ESTPlus / Cross in Morse Code
Prosigns3 dots · 2 dashes · 5 signals · Family: Prosigns
Five signals: dot-dash-dot-dash-dot. The AR prosign — "end of message / all received." A shorter alternating pattern starting with a dot, same family as the period.
AR + (end msg)40+20=60Equals / Double Dash in Morse Code
Prosigns3 dots · 2 dashes · 5 signals · Family: Prosigns
Five signals: dash-dot-dot-dot-dash. The BT prosign — "break / new section." Symmetric dash bookends around three dots.
= (break)BT =Dollar Sign in Morse Code
Triple Block5 dots · 2 dashes · 7 signals · Family: Triple Block
Seven signals — the longest common Morse code: three dots, dash, two dots, dash. Present in the ITU standard; rare in CW practice but common in American Morse tradition.
$50USD $Underscore in Morse Code
Other3 dots · 3 dashes · 6 signals · Family: Other
Six signals: dot-dot-dash-dash-dot-dash. Rare in CW practice but included in the ITU standard. Most common in digital modes and file naming.
file_nameuser_idAmpersand / Wait in Morse Code
Prosigns4 dots · 1 dash · 5 signals · Family: Prosigns
Five signals: dot-dash-dot-dot-dot. The AS prosign — "wait / stand by." One of the most-used procedural signals in amateur radio CW.
AS & (wait)Smith & JonesAt Sign in Morse Code
Other3 dots · 3 dashes · 6 signals · Family: Other
Six signals: dot-dash-dash-dot-dash-dot. Added by ITU in 2004 for email addresses — the newest Morse symbol. It fuses letters A and C without an inter-letter gap.
info@example.comAdded ITU 2004Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The ITU international Morse code standard defines **20 punctuation marks**, ranging from 4 to 7 signals each. This page covers all of them with audio, pattern analysis, and usage examples.