R

The letter R is one of the core “dot–dash–dot” patterns in the Morse alphabet. It’s light, balanced, and very common in real words, which makes it a must-know letter early in your Morse training.

People often search for things like:

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

This page gives you a focused guide to the letter R: its exact pattern, timing rules, how it relates to similar letters, and simple drills to make it automatic in both decoding and sending.

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

Here is the core fact most learners are looking for:

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

That means:
dot – dash – dot

In sound form, you can think of it as:

dit – daaah – dit

A short signal, a long one, then another short one.

Whenever you hear dot–dash–dot followed by a pause, you are very likely listening to the letter R.

How to Write the Letter R in Morse Code

To send R correctly, you combine the 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 R = .-. this becomes:

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

This directly answers some of the classic rule questions:

• How long is each letter in Morse code?
  Each letter is as long as its dots and dashes plus the 1-unit internal gaps. R is a compact, medium-length pattern: dot + dash + dot with two short gaps inside.
• How do you know when a letter ends in Morse code?
  Inside a letter, the gaps are very short (1 unit). When the silence stretches to around 3 units, that marks the end of the letter and the beginning of the next one. For R, you feel dit, tiny gap, daaah, tiny gap, dit, then a noticeably longer pause.
• How do you separate letters in Morse code?
  You separate letters by leaving that 3-unit gap between the end of one letter and the start of the next. That longer pause tells the listener “this letter is finished”.

Why R Is an Important Morse Letter

R is one of the most useful letters you can learn in Morse:

• It appears in a huge range of common words: are, or, for, word, morse, radio, rate, right, red, green, every, and many more.
• It has a very “clean” rhythm (short–long–short), which trains your ear to recognise contrast inside a single letter.
• It is part of a small group of letters that start and end with dots, which makes it easy to visualise as a framed pattern.

R also has strong relationships with a few key letters:

• A = .- (dot–dash)
• P = .–. (dot–dash–dash–dot)
• L = .-.. (dot–dash–dot–dot)
• K = -.- (dash–dot–dash)

You can think of R as the “core” version of this family:

• A: dot – dash
• R: dot – dash – dot
• P: dot – dash – dash – dot
• L: dot – dash – dot – dot

If you remember A first, R feels like “A with an extra dot at the end”.

How R Compares to Similar Morse Patterns

To keep R clear in your mind, compare it directly with nearby patterns:

• R = .-.
• A = .-
• P = .–.
• L = .-..
• K = -.-

Key differences:

• If you hear dot–dash only, that is A, not R.
• If you hear dot–dash–dash–dot, that is P.
• If you hear dot–dash–dot–dot, that is L.
• If you hear dash–dot–dash, that is K (note it starts with a dash, not a dot).
• R is the neat “dot–dash–dot” in the middle of these.

So when someone asks:

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

You can remember it as “A with an extra dot at the end”.

Practical Examples Using the Letter R

Seeing and hearing R inside real words helps your brain make the pattern feel natural.

Examples:

• R as a single letter: .-.
• OR:
  • O = —
  • R = .-.
    OR = — .-.
• ARE:
  • A = .-
  • R = .-.
  • E = .
    ARE = .- .-. .
• RADIO:
  • R = .-.
  • A = .-
  • D = -..
  • I = ..
  • O = —
    RADIO = .-. .- -.. .. —
• MORSE:
  • M = —
  • O = —
  • R = .-.
  • S = …
  • E = .
    MORSE = — — .-. … .

Every time you see or send these words, you reinforce that .-. is R.

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

Here are a few quick drills to make the letter R feel automatic.

1. Decode the pattern

Look at or listen to:

.-.

Ask yourself:

What letter is this in Morse code?

Correct answer: R.

Repeat several times:

• Hear “dit – daaah – dit” → say “R” instantly.
• Visualise the letter R every time you imagine dot–dash–dot with a pause after it.

2. Encode the letter

Now reverse it.

Think of the letter R and send:

dot – dash – dot

You can tap it with your finger:

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

This links the rhythm to your hand and your ear, not just your eyes.

3. Contrast R with A, P, and L

To avoid mixing R with similar letters, practise them as a small set:

• .- → A
• .-. → R
• .–. → P
• .-.. → L

Ask yourself each time:

Did it end with a dot or continue into more dashes or dots?
Was there one dot at the end or two?
Were there extra dashes after the first dash?

If it started with a dot, had one dash in the middle, and ended with a single dot, you are hearing R.