What is X in Morse code?

X is -..- in International Morse—4 elements occupying 11 Paris timing units at standard ratios.

How do you say X aloud when learning?

Say it as dahdididah (dits and dahs), not the words “dot” and “dash,” so your ear matches on-air copy.

What letter is -..- in Morse code?

The pattern -..- decodes to X; reversed, the same dots and dahs spell X (-..-).

What is X often confused with on copy?

Learners mix X with P (.--.) and C (-.-.). Drill them back-to-back at one WPM before raising speed.

How long does X take at 20 WPM?

At 20 WPM one Paris unit is 60 ms, so X (11 units) lasts about 660 ms from the first dit or dah through the last element (letter space not included).

X in Morse Code

- . . -

Say it aloud: dahdididah · NATO X-ray · 11 timing units (~660 ms at 20 WPM)

By MorseCoder Team · Last updated: October 22, 2026

Quick answer

X is -..- (dash-dot-dot-dash) with 4 elements. X in Morse code is -..- (dash-dot-dot-dash). Symmetrical like P (.--.).

At a glance: X

Spoken rhythm	dahdididah outside dahs.
Timing length	11 units (~660 ms).
English frequency rank	Rank 24; abbreviations boost X.
Mirror / reverse letter	Reverse X (-..-).
NATO phonetic	X-ray.
Koch lesson on MorseCoder	Lesson 35—near end of Koch order.

Dot length at 20 WPM uses 1200÷WPM ms per unit — see Morse code timing & WPM.

Words starting with X

XENON -..- . -. --- -.
XEROX -..- . .-. --- -..-
XYLEM -..- -.-- .-.. . --
XENIA -..- . -. .. .-
XRAYS -..- .-. .- -.-- ...

Timing for X

X-ray is dash-dit-dit-dah for ten units—Papa’s dahs outside, dits inside. Uneven middle gaps split X into D plus stray elements.

Three worked examples with X

DX → -.. -..-

X closes DX; dash-dit-dit-dah frames the middle.
TX → - -..-

X ends TX transmit shorthand; symmetric tail dah.
EX → . -..-

X follows E; four elements with dahs on the outside.

Easy to confuse with P and C

Papa mirrors dots outside instead. Charlie alternates throughout without outer dahs.

P (.--.)C (-.-.)

Memory drill

"X marks the spot". Koch lesson 36 adds X last; drill DX and TX as procedural pairs. Compare P and X palindromes once P is solid.

How X is used on the air

X finishes “DX,” “TX,” “EX,” and marks experimental prefixes. Rare in English yet vital in ham abbreviations. Rank twenty-four means plain words seldom use X, but DX traffic is constant on HF. Splitting the middle dits turns DX into D sequences in logs. Voice X-ray clarifies after weak CW in contests. When a spot reads “DX expedition,” the acronym’s closing X-ray rhythm is the same as in TX—practice both until the outer dahs frame the interior dits without hesitation under pressure.

Morse code timing diagram: a dot is 1 unit, a dash is 3 units, the gap between letters is 3 units and between words is 7 units

Sources

ITU-R M.1677-1 — International Morse timing and character set
ITU-R M.1172 — radiotelegraph abbreviations and operational signals
ARRL — Learning Morse Code
Our ITU-R M.1677-1 guide