No in Morse Code
The shortest complete sentence in the code. Here is “no” in Morse code — press play to hear it, copy it for a clue, a quiz or a joke between friends, and notice how much weight five little elements can carry.
The signal light flashes in time with the sound.
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How to write “no” in Morse code, letter by letter
- N -. · O ---
No is close to the minimal pair of the alphabet: N (-.) is a dash softened by a dot, O (---) is three dashes and nothing else. Sent together they make a knock-knock rhythm — dash-dot, then long-long-long — that nobody mistakes for anything else.
One space separates letters. A dot lasts one unit, a dash three — the timing rules are the same whether you write, beep, tap or flash the word. Every letter above follows the ITU International Morse Code standard, the same table as our full Morse code chart.
Five elements, zero ambiguity
Every code needs a clear way to refuse, and Morse keeps it brutally simple: there is no special “no” signal in the ITU standard, just the two letters spelled plainly, -. ---. On voice radio the same answer is usually given as the word “negative”, but on the key it stays N-O — the answer a beginner sends on day one is the answer a coast station sent a century ago.
In everyday play, NO is half of the oldest double act in communication. Set a quiz, a scavenger hunt or a classroom game in Morse and the two answers you need first are this one and yes (-.-- . ...). Engravers know the pair too: two bracelets, two answers, one shared secret — our bracelet guide shows how jewellery carries the code.
Frequently asked questions
What is “no” in Morse code?
No in Morse code is -. --- — N is -. and O is ---, two letters totalling five elements.
Is there a special signal for no in Morse code?
No — the ITU standard has no single signal for “no”. Operators spell N-O in plain language, exactly as written here. On voice radio the same answer is usually given as the word “negative”.
What is “yes” in Morse code?
Yes in Morse code is -.-- . ... — Y is -.--, E is . and S is .... Yes and no together (-.-- . ... / -. ---) are the first pair of answers most learners memorise.