I in Morse Code: ··
The letter I in Morse code is ··, spoken as "di-dit": two short. That is 2 dots, with a dash held three times as long as a dot. To remember it, think it is (two quick beats).
Timing: how long each part lasts
Morse timing is built from one unit, the length of a dot. A dash is 3 units, and the silence between the elements of a single character is 1 unit. At 20 words per minute, one unit is 60 ms, so I breaks down like this:
| Element | Signal | Length (units) | At 20 WPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dot | · | 1 | 60 ms |
| Gap | (silence) | 1 | 60 ms |
| Dot | · | 1 | 60 ms |
| Total for I | 3 | 180 ms | |
How to signal I
- Tap it: two short. A short is a quick tap; a long is a heavier tap, or a quick tap followed by a slight hold, about three times as long.
- Blink it: two short. Use quick blinks for dots and slow, deliberate eye closes for dashes, keeping the rhythm steady.
- Flash it: two short. Short flashes for dots; for dashes, hold the light on about three times longer. Any flashlight or phone screen works.
How to remember I
Say it is (two quick beats) in rhythm with the code and the pattern sticks: "di-dit".
Words that start with I: India ·· −· −·· ·· ·−, ice ·· −·−· ·, iron ·· ·−· −−− −·, island ·· ··· ·−·· ·− −· −··. The first is I's NATO phonetic name, which operators use to spell aloud.
I is two dots, and paired with H it makes HI, six dots total. In ham radio convention HI also stands for laughter, morse's original 'haha'.