·· / ·−·· −−− ···− · / −·−− −−− ··−
"I Love You" in Morse code is ·· / ·−·· −−− ···− · / −·−− −−− ··−.
Leave a short gap between letters and a longer gap between words. In writing, letters are separated by a space and words by a slash. At standard timing a dot lasts one unit, a dash three units, the gap inside a letter one unit, the gap between letters three units and the gap between words seven. "I Love You" takes 93 units, about 5.6 seconds at a speed of 20 words per minute.
Meaning: Morse code for "I Love You" (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
Letter by letter: I is ··, L is ·−··, O is −−−, V is ···−, E is ·, Y is −·−− and U is ··−.
How do you pronounce it?
di-dit / di-dah-di-dit dah-dah-dah di-di-di-dah dit / dah-di-dah-dah dah-dah-dah di-di-dah
What mistakes should you avoid?
Keep the gaps between letters. Without them, I ·· can be read as E and E · ·, which changes the message.
When do people say it?
Radio operators have their own number shorthand: 88 means "love and kisses", and 73 means "best regards".
Did you know?
- Experienced operators hear whole words as rhythms instead of counting dots and dashes, the way a reader sees words instead of letters.
- Ships stopped relying on Morse code for distress calls in 1999, when the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System took over.
