Reference

Morse Code Numbers

Morse code numbers run from 0 to 9 and follow a neat pattern: each digit uses exactly five dots and dashes. The number 1 is one dot then four dashes, and each following number swaps one more dash for a dot until 5 is all dots.

Want to try it? Open the Morse Code translator and encode or decode your own text in your browser.
0
-----
1
.----
2
..---
3
...--
4
....-
5
.....
6
-....
7
--...
8
---..
9
----.

The pattern behind the numbers

The digits 1 to 5 start with that many dots and fill the rest with dashes. So 1 is dot dash dash dash dash, 2 is dot dot dash dash dash, up to 5 which is five dots. The digits 6 to 0 mirror this, starting with dashes and adding dots, ending at 0 which is five dashes.

Because every digit is exactly five symbols long, numbers are easy to spot in a stream of Morse: a run of five even signals almost always marks a digit.

Frequently asked questions

How many dots and dashes does each Morse number use?

Every digit from 0 to 9 uses exactly five symbols. That fixed length makes numbers easy to recognise within a message.

What is 0 in Morse code?

Zero is five dashes in a row: minus minus minus minus minus. It sits at the end of the mirrored pattern that starts with 5 as five dots.

Keep exploring