K

The letter K is one of the classic “dash–dot–dash” patterns in the Morse alphabet. It is short, sharp, and appears a lot in abbreviations, callsigns, and words like “key”, “kick”, and “keep”.

People often search for things like:

• What is the letter K in Morse code?
• How do you write K in Morse code?
• What letter is -.- in Morse?
• How do you know when a letter ends in Morse code?
• How do you separate letters in Morse code?

This page is your focused guide to the letter K: its exact pattern, timing rules, how it compares to similar letters, and simple drills that help you recognise and send it confidently.

Quick Answer: What Is the Letter K in Morse Code?

Here is the direct answer most people look for:

The letter K in Morse code is:
K = -.-

That means:
dash – dot – dash

In sound form, you can think of it as:

daaah – dit – daaah

So whenever you hear a long signal, then a short one, then another long one, you are hearing the rhythm of K.

How to Write the Letter K in Morse Code

To send K correctly, you need to combine the symbol pattern with the standard Morse timing rules.

Global timing rules:

• Dot = 1 time unit
• Dash = 3 time units
• Gap between dots and dashes inside the same letter = 1 unit
• Gap between letters = 3 units
• Gap between words = 7 units

For K = -.- this becomes:

1. Dash (3 units)
2. Short internal gap (1 unit)
3. Dot (1 unit)
4. Short internal gap (1 unit)
5. Dash (3 units)
6. Then a 3-unit pause before the next letter

This structure answers several common questions:

• How long is each letter in Morse code?
  Each letter lasts as long as its dots and dashes plus the internal gaps. K is fairly compact: two dashes, one dot, and two short gaps.
• How do you know when a letter ends in Morse code?
  Inside one letter, the gaps are very short (1 unit). When the pause stretches to around 3 units, that marks the end of the current letter (like K) and the start of the next one.
• How do you separate letters in Morse code?
  You separate letters by leaving a 3-unit gap before starting the next letter’s pattern.

Why K Is an Important Morse Letter

K looks simple, but it is very important in practice:

• It appears in many common words and abbreviations.
• It is used frequently in radio procedures (for example, K is often used to mean “over” in some Morse contexts).
• It teaches you to recognise and send a pattern that alternates dash–dot–dash, which sharpens your pattern recognition.

K also belongs to a small family of “dash–dot–dash style” or closely related patterns:

• K = -.-
• C = -.-.
• R = .-.
• Y = -.–

Training K next to those letters helps your ear separate very similar rhythms.

How K Compares to Similar Morse Patterns

A lot of confusion comes from letters that look almost the same. K is a perfect example:

• K = -.-
• C = -.-.
• R = .-.
• Q = –.-
• Y = -.–

The closest pair is K and C:

• K = dash – dot – dash
• C = dash – dot – dash – dot

So if you hear dash–dot–dash and it stops, that is K.
If you hear dash–dot–dash and then an extra dot, that is C.

You can remember it like this:

K is the clean dash–dot–dash core.
C is “K with a final soft dot”.

So when someone asks:

What letter is this in Morse code: -.- ?
The answer is: K.

Practical Examples Using the Letter K

Putting K inside real words helps anchor the pattern in your memory.

Examples:

• K alone: -.-
• OK:
  • O = —
  • K = -.-
    OK = — -.-
• KEY:
  • K = -.-
  • E = .
  • Y = -.–
• KILO (NATO phonetic word for K):
  • K = -.-
  • I = ..
  • L = .-..
  • O = —

Every time you see or send words like “OK” or “KEY”, you are reinforcing the dash–dot–dash pattern of K.

Mini Training: Learn to Feel K ( -.- )

Here are a few simple drills to make the letter K feel natural.

1. Decode the pattern

Look at or listen to:

-.-

Ask yourself:

What letter is this in Morse code?

Correct answer: K.

Repeat this a few times:

• See -.- and say “K” out loud.
• Hear daaah – dit – daaah in your head and link it instantly to K.

2. Encode the letter

Now reverse the process.

Think of the letter K and produce:

dash – dot – dash.

You can tap it on a surface:

long tap, tiny gap, short tap, tiny gap, long tap.

This helps your hand and ear memorise the rhythm, not just your eyes.

3. Contrast K with C and R

To avoid mixing K with similar patterns, practise them as a group:

• -.- → K
• -.-. → C
• .-. → R

Ask yourself:

Did it start with a dash or a dot?
Did the pattern end with a dash or a dot?

• Starts with dash, ends with dash → K
• Starts with dash, ends with dot → C
• Starts with dot, ends with dot → often R (dot–dash–dot)