HELP in Morse code
HELP in Morse code is .... . .-.. .--.. But if you ever need to call for help with Morse code, send SOS instead.
.... . .-.. .--.
Sound plays at about 10 words per minute.
Tap it yourselfSend it as a secret message
Letter by letter
| Letter | Code | Rhythm |
|---|---|---|
| H | .... | di-di-di-dit |
| E | . | dit |
| L | .-.. | di-dah-di-dit |
| P | .--. | di-dah-dah-dit |
HELP or SOS?
HELP takes 13 signals across four letters. SOS takes 9, in one fixed pattern that people all over the world recognize as a distress call, even if they don't know Morse code.
That fixed pattern matters most when a signal is weak or broken up. Someone who catches only part of ...---... can still recognize it, while a partly received word is easy to misread.
Calling for help by voice: MAYDAY and PAN-PAN
On voice radio, the distress call is MAYDAY, said three times. It comes from the French "venez m'aider" ("come help me"). PAN-PAN, from the French "panne" ("breakdown"), is for urgent situations that are not an immediate danger to life. In Morse code, the distress signal is SOS.
Still worth practicing
HELP is a useful practice word. Its last letter, P (.--., di-dah-dah-dit), reads the same forwards and backwards, and on the signal map it branches off W together with J (.---) — a good pair to tell apart.
Try it yourself
Open the tap pad and send HELP one letter at a time, then try SOS and feel the difference.
Tap it yourselfSend it as a secret message