Morse code keyer practice with timing feedback
Hold space (or the on-screen pad) for dahs, tap for dits, and compare your element lengths to the target WPM grid. Browser timing practice — USB paddles and rig keying are out of scope for v1.
Hold space or the pad — short = dit, long = dah.
When to use
Checking whether your dahs are actually 3× dits; warming up send muscle memory; practicing a callsign or short phrase you already know by ear; pairing send with a listen session the same day.
Better elsewhere
No rig control, transmitter sidetone, contest logging, or HID paddle support in v1. Copy → listen. Koch unlocks → trainer.
Assumptions
Straight-key style timing (press duration = element length). Target WPM sets the ideal dit ms. Optional iambic/paddle modes are out of v1 unless explicitly shipped later. Local sidetone only.
Examples
Input
Target 15 WPM · send E / T / A
Result
Check whether your dah on T landed near 3× dit
Input
Target 20 WPM · send K (-.-)
Result
Review element bars vs ideal lengths
Input
Send your callsign slowly
Result
Muscle memory first, speed second
Pair with listen on the same characters later.
How it works
- Capture key-down / key-up timestamps from spacebar or pad.
- Classify dit vs dah vs gap against the target WPM grid.
- Show a simple timing accuracy readout for recent elements.
- Optional local sidetone follows your key-down — nothing is uploaded.
dit = 1200/WPM ms · dah = 3×dit · intra-char gap ≈ 1 dit · letter gap ≈ 3 dit · word gap ≈ 7 dit
Gotchas
- Keyboard repeat and laptop trackpads add jitter — prefer spacebar or a dedicated on-screen key.
- Mobile long-press menus can steal the gesture; use the on-screen pad.
- “Sounding fine to you” ≠ correct timing; trust the bars once or twice a session.
- Browser timing only — it does not key a radio or count as an exam score.
Compare
What “timing feedback” means
At a target WPM, a dit has an ideal length (~1200/WPM ms) and a dah is about three dits. The keyer watches how long you hold the key and compares elements and gaps to that grid. Glance at the bars once or twice a session — ear-alone timing often drifts.
Hardware reality check
- No USB paddle HID driver and no radio keying from this page.
- Laptop key-repeat and trackpads add jitter — prefer spacebar or the on-screen pad.
- Mobile long-press menus can steal gestures; use the pad control.
- Iambic A/B paddle modes are out of v1 unless explicitly enabled later.
Practice ideas
Send single letters you already copy well. Then your callsign. Then a short known phrase. Pair with listen the same day.
Common questions
Short answers from real friction points.
Related tools
Practice tool only. See Methodology and Terms.