X

The letter X is one of the “mirror” patterns in the Morse alphabet. It feels like a frame built around two dots: dash, two quick dots, dash. Once your ear learns this “long–short–short–long” rhythm, X becomes very easy to pick out in real signals.

People often search for things like:

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

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

Here is the core fact most learners are looking for:

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

That means:
dash – dot – dot – dash

In sound form, you can think of it as:

daaah – dit – dit – daaah

A long signal, two quick dots in the middle, and a long signal at the end.

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

How to Write the Letter X in Morse Code

To send X correctly, you combine its 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 X = -..- this becomes:

1. Dash (3 units)
2. Short internal gap (1 unit)
3. Dot (1 unit)
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. X is a medium–long 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 X, you feel daaah, tiny gap, dit, tiny gap, dit, tiny gap, daaah, 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 finished” marker.

Why X Is an Important Morse Letter

X might not be the most common letter in everyday text, but it is very useful in Morse:

• It appears in words like extra, next, exit, box, mix, fix, text, and complex.
• It is often used as a separator or marker in some informal message styles.
• It teaches you to recognise a “framed” pattern: dash at the start, dash at the end, with structure in the middle.

X also has a strong relationship with K:

• K = -.- (dash–dot–dash)
• X = -..- (dash–dot–dot–dash)

You can think of X as “K but with an extra dot in the middle”:

• K: dash – dot – dash
• X: dash – dot – dot – dash

This mental link makes X easier to remember and distinguish.

How X Compares to Similar Morse Patterns

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

• X = -..-
• K = -.-
• Y = -.–
• Z = –..
• C = -.-.

Key differences:

• If you hear dash–dot–dash, that is K, not X.
• If you hear dash–dot–dash–dash (-.–), that is Y.
• If you hear dash–dash–dot–dot (–..), that is Z.
• If you hear dash–dot–dash–dot (-.-.), that is C.
• X is specifically dash–dot–dot–dash: -..-.

So when someone asks:

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

You can remember it as “a dash, two dots in the middle, and a dash closing the frame.”

Practical Examples Using the Letter X

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

Examples:

• X as a single letter: -..-
• BOX:
  • B = -…
  • O = —
  • X = -..-
    BOX = -… — -..-
• EXIT:
  • E = .
  • X = -..-
  • I = ..
  • T = –
    EXIT = . -..- .. –
• NEXT:
  • N = -.
  • E = .
  • X = -..-
  • T = –
    NEXT = -. . -..- –
• MIX:
  • M = —
  • I = ..
  • X = -..-
    MIX = — .. -..-
• TEXT:
  • T = –
  • E = .
  • X = -..-
  • T = –
    TEXT = – . -..- –

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

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

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

1. Decode the pattern

Look at or listen to:

-..-

Ask yourself:

What letter is this in Morse code?

Correct answer: X.

Repeat several times:

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

2. Encode the letter

Now reverse it.

Think of the letter X and send:

dash – dot – dot – dash

You can tap it with your finger:

long tap, tiny gap, short 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 X with K, Y, Z, and C

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

• -.- → K
• -..- → X
• -.– → Y
• –.. → Z
• -.-. → C

Ask yourself each time:

How many dots were in the middle?
Did the pattern start and end with dashes?
Were there two dots between the dashes or just one?

If it started with a dash, ended with a dash, and had exactly two dots in the middle, you are hearing X.