Mayday in Morse Code
-- .- -.-- -.. .- -.--
"Mayday" is the spoken distress call used over the radio — pilots and sailors say it three times to declare a life-threatening emergency. It comes from the French "m'aider" ("help me"). Importantly, "mayday" is a voice procedure, not a Morse signal: the Morse distress call is SOS. Still, people often want to see "mayday" encoded, and it is -- .- -.-- -.. .- -.-- .
Letter-by-Letter Breakdown
| Letter | Morse | Sound (di / dah) |
|---|---|---|
| M | -- | dah-dah |
| A | .- | di-dah |
| Y | -.-- | dah-di-dah-dah |
| D | -.. | dah-di-dit |
| A | .- | di-dah |
| Y | -.-- | dah-di-dah-dah |
Six letters, and the two Y's give it a dash-laden character: -- .- -.-- -.. .- -.--. M and both Y's are heavy with long signals, so "mayday" sounds deep and drawn-out in code. The two A's (.-) provide quick contrast between the slower letters, but overall the word leans long and low.
How to Send “Mayday” in Morse Code
In the real world, "mayday" is spoken into a microphone three times ("Mayday, Mayday, Mayday") for voice radio, while Morse operators in distress key SOS instead. Encoding "mayday" is mostly for learning and curiosity — it's a great example of how a voice-procedure word differs from a Morse procedure signal. Send it slowly to hear how dash-heavy it is.
Type it
Enter "Mayday" in any Morse translator to see -- .- -.-- -.. .- -.-- appear instantly — the fastest way to check the pattern.
Tap it
Tap the rhythm on a hand or table: short taps for dots, longer presses for dashes, with a clear pause between letters.
Blink it
Signal it with your eyes or a subtle nod — quick for a dot, held for a dash — a silent way to pass "Mayday" across a room.
Flash it
Use a flashlight or phone light: a brief flash is a dot, a long flash is a dash. Press Play above to hear the timing first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "mayday" in Morse code?+
"Mayday" in Morse code is -- .- -.-- -.. .- -.-- , spelling M-A-Y-D-A-Y. It's quite dash-heavy thanks to the M and the two Y's. Note that "mayday" is really a spoken radio distress call; the equivalent Morse distress signal is SOS.
Is "mayday" used in Morse code or only on voice radio?+
"Mayday" is a voice radiotelephony call, said three times to declare an emergency. In Morse (continuous-wave) radio, operators send SOS instead. So while you can encode "mayday" for practice, it isn't the Morse distress procedure — SOS (... --- ...) fills that role.
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