Q

The letter Q is one of the “strong” dash-heavy patterns in the Morse alphabet. It sounds bold and a bit dramatic: two long dashes, a quick dot, then one last dash. Once you get used to its rhythm, it becomes very easy to recognise, especially in radio contexts.

People often search for things like:

• What is the letter Q in Morse code?
• How is the letter Q represented in Morse?
• What letter is –.- in Morse code?
• How is the letter Q represented in Morse code?
• How do you write the letter Q in Morse?
• How long is the letter Q in Morse code?

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

Here is the core fact most learners are looking for:

The letter Q in Morse code is:
Q = –.-

That means:
dash – dash – dot – dash

In sound form, you can think of it as:

daaah – daaah – dit – daaah

Two long signals, a quick dot, then a final long signal.

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

How to Write the Letter Q in Morse Code

To send Q 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 Q = –.- 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. Dash (3 units)
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. Q is a long letter: three dashes and one dot with three short gaps between them.
• 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 Q, you feel dash, tiny gap, dash, tiny gap, dot, tiny gap, dash, 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 clear signal that the letter is finished.

Why Q Is an Important Morse Letter

Q might not be the most common letter in everyday text, but it is quite important in Morse use:

• It appears in key words like quick, question, quality, equal, quote, and in international words like Qatar, Quebec, and kiloquads in technical contexts.
• In radio culture, Q is used as part of “Q-codes” (like QTH, QRM, QRN, etc.), so getting comfortable with the Q sound is especially useful if you listen to or work with radio traffic.
• It teaches you to recognise a complex dash-led pattern with a dot in the third position – different from simpler dash-dash or dash-dot structures.

Q also fits into a family of dash-heavy letters:

• G = –.
• Q = –.-
• Y = -.–
• K = -.-

If you see G as “dash–dash–dot”, Q feels like G with an extra dash at the end:

• G: dash – dash – dot
• Q: dash – dash – dot – dash

This kind of mental link makes Q much easier to remember.

How Q Compares to Similar Morse Patterns

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

• Q = –.-
• G = –.
• K = -.-
• Y = -.–
• M = —

Key differences:

• If you hear dash–dash–dot and then a pause, that is G, not Q.
• If you hear dash–dot–dash, that is K.
• If you hear dash–dot–dash–dash, that is Y.
• If you hear just two dashes with no dot, that is M.
• Q is the only one in this group that is dash–dash–dot–dash: –.-.

So when someone asks:

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

You can remember it as “double dash, quick dot, final dash.”

Practical Examples Using the Letter Q

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

Examples:

• Q as a single letter: –.-
• QU:
  • Q = –.-
  • U = ..-
    QU = –.- ..-
• QUICK:
  • Q = –.-
  • U = ..-
  • I = ..
  • C = -.-.
  • K = -.-
    QUICK = –.- ..- .. -.-. -.-
• QUEEN:
  • Q = –.-
  • U = ..-
  • E = .
  • E = .
  • N = -.
    QUEEN = –.- ..- . . -.
• EQUAL:
  • E = .
  • Q = –.-
  • U = ..-
  • A = .-
  • L = .-..
    EQUAL = . –.- ..- .- .-..

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

Mini Training: Learn to Feel Q (–.-)

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

1. Decode the pattern

Look at or listen to:

–.-

Ask yourself:

What letter is this in Morse code?

Correct answer: Q.

Repeat several times:

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

2. Encode the letter

Now reverse it.

Think of the letter Q and send:

dash – dash – dot – dash

You can tap it with your finger:

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

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

3. Contrast Q with G, K, and Y

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

• –. → G
• –.- → Q
• -.- → K
• -.– → Y

Ask yourself each time:

How many dashes came before the dot?
Was the dot in the third position or somewhere else?
Did the pattern end with a dash after the dot?

If you heard dash–dash–dot–dash, you are hearing Q.