Z

The letter Z is one of the strong, dash-led patterns in the Morse alphabet. It has a bold shape: two long dashes followed by two quick dots. Once your ear gets used to “long–long–short–short”, Z becomes very easy to pick out from the noise.

People often search for things like:

• What is the letter Z in Morse code?
• How is the letter Z represented in Morse?
• What letter is –.. in Morse code?
• How do you write the letter Z in Morse?
• How long is the letter Z in Morse code?
• How do you separate letters in Morse code?

This page gives you a focused guide to the letter Z: 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 Z in Morse Code?

Here is the core fact most learners are looking for:

The letter Z in Morse code is:
Z = –..

That means:
dash – dash – dot – dot

In sound form, you can think of it as:

daaah – daaah – dit – dit

Two long signals followed by two quick dots.

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

How to Write the Letter Z in Morse Code

To send Z 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 Z = –.. this becomes:

1. Dash (3 units)
2. Short internal gap (1 unit)
3. Dash (3 units)
4. Short internal gap (1 unit)
5. Dot (1 unit)
6. Short internal gap (1 unit)
7. Dot (1 unit)
8. 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. Z is a longish letter: two dashes and two dots with three 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 Z, you feel daaah, tiny gap, daaah, tiny gap, dit, 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 is the “this letter is done” signal for the listener.

Why Z Is an Important Morse Letter

Z is not the most frequent letter in normal text, but in Morse it still matters:

• It appears in plenty of useful words: zoo, zero, zone, size, zoom, lazy, crazy, and lots of names and abbreviations.
• It trains your ear to recognise a “heavy front, light back” rhythm: two dashes followed by two dots.
• It ties directly into other dash-heavy letters and some number patterns, which helps build a more complete mental map of Morse.

Z fits naturally into a small group of related dash-start patterns:

• G = –. (dash–dash–dot)
• Z = –.. (dash–dash–dot–dot)
• Q = –.- (dash–dash–dot–dash)

You can think of Z as “G with an extra dot at the end”:

• G: dash – dash – dot
• Z: dash – dash – dot – dot

Once G is solid in your mind, Z becomes much easier to remember.

How Z Compares to Similar Morse Patterns

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

• Z = –..
• G = –.
• Q = –.-
• 7 = –…
• M = —

Key differences:

• If you hear just dash–dash–dot and then a pause, that is G, not Z.
• If you hear dash–dash–dot–dash, that is Q.
• If you hear dash–dash only, that is M.
• If you hear dash–dash–dot–dot–dot, that is the digit 7.
• Z is exactly dash–dash–dot–dot: –…

So when someone asks:

What letter is –.. in Morse code?
The answer is: Z.

You can remember it as “double dash, then two quick dots”.

Practical Examples Using the Letter Z

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

Examples:

• Z as a single letter: –..
• ZOO:
  • Z = –..
  • O = —
  • O = —
    ZOO = –.. — —
• ZERO:
  • Z = –..
  • E = .
  • R = .-.
  • O = —
    ZERO = –.. . .-. —
• ZONE:
  • Z = –..
  • O = —
  • N = -.
  • E = .
    ZONE = –.. — -. .
• SIZE:
  • S = …
  • I = ..
  • Z = –..
  • E = .
    SIZE = … .. –.. .
• LAZY:
  • L = .-..
  • A = .-
  • Z = –..
  • Y = -.–
    LAZY = .-.. .- –.. -.–

Every time you see or send these words, you reinforce that –.. is Z.

Mini Training: Learn to Feel Z (–..)

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

1. Decode the pattern

Look at or listen to:

–..

Ask yourself:

What letter is this in Morse code?

Correct answer: Z.

Repeat several times:

• Hear “daaah – daaah – dit – dit” → say “Z” instantly.
• Visualise the letter Z every time you imagine two long dashes followed by two quick dots, then a pause.

2. Encode the letter

Now reverse it.

Think of the letter Z and send:

dash – dash – dot – dot

You can tap it with your finger:

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

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

3. Contrast Z with G, Q, 7, and M

To avoid mixing Z with similar letters and numbers, practise them as a small set:

• –. → G
• –.. → Z
• –.- → Q
• –… → 7
• — → M

Ask yourself each time:

How many dashes came before the dots?
How many dots were at the end?
Did the pattern end in dots, a dash, or a longer string of dots?

If you heard two dashes followed by exactly two dots, you are hearing Z.