How to practise with the trainer
Choose Send to practise sending. The trainer shows a target, you send it, and it shows each letter in green if it was right or red if it was wrong, with the code you sent next to the correct one. Choose Receive to practise copying: the trainer plays Morse code, you type what you hear, and it shows your mistakes. You can replay as often as you like.
Each try gets three scores. Accuracy is the share of characters you got right, so one missed letter does not spoil the rest. Fluency measures how even your rhythm is: steady dots and dashes, dashes three times as long as dots, gaps of three units between letters and seven between words, and no long hesitations. Speed is shown in words per minute. Together they give you one to three stars.
Levels go from single letters to letter groups in Koch order, common words, Q codes and callsigns, and full sentences. A level unlocks when you score 90 per cent or more on three tries at the level before it. You can always practise your own text.
Two keys, one key or a microphone
Beginners start with two keys: one makes a dot and another makes a dash, and the trainer plays each beep at the correct length, so you hear proper rhythm from the start. Use the full stop and hyphen keys, J and K, or the big Dot and Dash buttons on a phone. Space ends a letter and the slash key ends a word. In this mode fluency only measures what you control: the gaps and how steady you are.
From the Bronze level you use one key, like a real straight key. Hold the space bar or the big key for as long as each signal should last, and the trainer times you. You can also send with a real key, a buzzer, a practice oscillator or even a whistle: choose Microphone and the trainer listens with the same engine as our Morse code audio decoder.
Paddles, radio contacts and a Koch course
For advanced senders there is an iambic paddle mode. Use the [ and ] keys, or two paddle buttons on a touch screen: hold one for dots, the other for dashes, and squeeze both to alternate. Choose iambic A or B. The keyer remembers a quick tap of the other paddle, and you are scored on accuracy and on your letter and word gaps.
Radio contact lets you practise a typical CW contact, or QSO: a call (CQ), callsigns, a signal report, your name and town, and 73 to finish. A pretend operator sends to you at your speed and waits for your reply, and every over gets its own scores. The operator follows a fixed script, and all its callsigns and names are made up.
The Koch course works like a lesson book for receiving. Lesson 1 starts with K and M, and each lesson adds one character. Listen at a quick character speed with extra Farnsworth space, type what you hear, and see a table of how often you got each character right. Score 90 per cent and the next lesson opens.
Audio sets makes a practice recording for listening offline: Koch groups, random letters, numbers, words, callsigns or your own text, at the speed and tone you choose. It downloads as a WAV sound file with a text file of the answers.
Koch or Farnsworth?
The Koch method starts at a fairly quick character speed with just two letters, and adds a new letter each time you can copy the others with about 90 per cent accuracy. Farnsworth timing sends each letter at full speed but leaves longer gaps between letters and words. Many learners combine them: learn letters one at a time, at 18 to 20 words per minute, with extra space. Set both speeds under Sound and light settings.
A daily 10-minute routine
Two minutes: warm up by receiving letters you already know. Three minutes: receive your newest letters or words. Three minutes: send the same letters, aiming for green letters and a fluency score above 80. Two minutes: try the daily challenge, which is the same message for everyone that day, and keep your day streak going.
Short sessions every day work better than one long session a week. Stop while it is still fun. A small chart shows your accuracy and fluency for your last 20 tries, so you can see yourself improve.
Sending tips with a key or buzzer
Relax your hand and wrist, and press the key with your fingertips rather than your whole arm. Think of the sound of each letter, di-dah for A, rather than counting dots. If your dashes are too short, say “dah” in your head and hold until it ends. Leave a clear pause between letters, about the length of a dash, and a longer one between words.
With a buzzer or practice oscillator, keep the microphone close and the room quiet. A steady whistle works too, which is handy on the move.
Tests, levels and badges
When you feel ready, take a sending test. There are six levels: Beginner, Novice, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Code Like a Pro. Each test has five messages, and you pass by reaching the accuracy and fluency marks for that level at a speed in its range. Passing unlocks the next level and lets you download a badge with your scores and the date.
Badges are a fun way to track your progress. They are made in your browser and are not an official qualification: there is no account and nothing is checked on a server. Each badge has a short code, and our badge checker shows whether a code matches the details printed on it.
Sound, light and vibration
Morse code can be played as sound, as a gentle screen flash, as a bright full-screen “torch” light for signalling, or as vibration on phones that support it. Flashing light can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy, so light modes always play at 7 words per minute or slower, which keeps the light below three flashes a second. Press Escape or tap the screen to stop.
Safe for children
The trainer was made to be safe for children. There are no accounts, no chat, no rooms or lobbies, no leaderboards and no comments, so nobody can contact you through it. Scores and progress stay in your browser on your device. The practice radio contact is with a made-up operator that follows a fixed script, not a real person. The only way to send a message is a postcard link that you choose to share yourself, and a name on a badge or postcard is only a first name or nickname that you type.
Morse postcards
Send a Morse message to a friend. Type or key your message, add a first name or nickname if you like, and press Send to a friend. The message travels only inside the link, after the # sign, so it never reaches our server and is not stored anywhere. Your friend hears the Morse code, tries to decode it, sees their accuracy score and can reply in Morse. Only share links with people you know.
Questions and answers
What do the accuracy and fluency scores mean?
Accuracy is the share of characters you sent or typed correctly, from 0 to 100 per cent. Fluency, from 0 to 100, measures how even your rhythm is: steady dots and dashes, the right dash to dot ratio, the right gaps and a steady speed. The trainer tells you which part pulled the score down.
How do I practise Morse code online for free?
Use this page. Pick Send or Receive and a level, then practise for ten minutes a day. Nothing to install, no account, and it works on phones, tablets and computers.
Can I use a real Morse key?
Yes. Plug a key into a practice oscillator or buzzer and choose Microphone, or connect a key to your computer as a keyboard key. Hand-keyed timing is fine: the trainer adapts to your speed.
What is two-key mode?
A mode for beginners. One key makes a dot and another a dash, and the trainer plays each beep at the correct length. You control the gaps, so fluency only scores the gaps and your steadiness.
Are the badges an official qualification?
No. They are a fun self-assessment made in your browser. The badge code only shows that the details have not been changed since the badge was made.
Is anything I send saved or uploaded?
No. Your scores and progress are kept in your browser’s local storage on your device. Microphone sound is analysed as it arrives and is never recorded. Postcards travel only inside the link you share.
What is the daily challenge?
A message that is the same for everyone each day. Send or receive it to keep your day streak going.
Can I use iambic paddles?
Yes. Choose Paddles, then use the [ and ] keys (or Z and X) or the two paddle buttons. Iambic A and B are both available, with squeeze and element memory.
Is the radio contact practice with a real person?
No. It is a pretend operator that follows a fixed script, with made-up callsigns starting with Q, which no real station uses. It is safe practice for your first real contacts.
How does the Koch course work?
Each lesson adds one character, starting with K and M. Type what you hear; when you score 90 per cent or more, the next lesson opens. Your lesson and per-character scores are saved in your browser.
Can I download practice audio?
Yes. Audio sets makes a WAV file at your chosen speed, Farnsworth spacing and tone, with a text file of the answers, so you can practise offline.
Is the flashing light mode safe?
Flashing light can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy, so the site shows a warning and keeps light modes to fewer than three flashes a second. If flashing light affects you, use sound or vibration instead.