Enter SOS in the Morse translator, choose Encode, and set 20 WPM with a 600 Hz tone. The result is ... --- ... . This example uses three separate letters, with a normal letter gap between S, O, and S.
1. Check the character tokens
| Position | Letter | Morse | Audible elements |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S | ... | Three dots |
| 2 | O | --- | Three dashes |
| 3 | S | ... | Three dots |
The visible sequence
SOS20 WPM; 600 Hz; separate-letter text mode... --- ...2. Find the unit duration
At 20 WPM, one unit lasts 1200 ÷ 20 = 60 milliseconds. A dot lasts one unit; a dash lasts three. Leave one unit of silence between elements inside a letter and three units in total between letters.
3. Add the complete timeline
| Segment | Audible units | Internal silence | Following letter gap | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First S | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| O | 9 | 2 | 3 | 14 |
| Final S | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Total | 15 | 6 | 6 | 27 |
The complete sequence lasts 27 units × 60 ms = 1620 ms. It ends on the final dot, without a trailing gap. When counting letter gaps, use three units in total rather than adding another one-unit gap first.
4. Listen to the three letters
Check the volume, then press Play. Listen for three dots, three dashes, and three dots again. The longer pauses mark the letter boundaries. You can press Stop at any point; pressing Play afterward starts the sequence again.
Your turn
At 40 WPM, how long is this same separate-letter sequence?