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I’m curious to know if someone can help me understand the difference between hearing the sound of the characters and counting them out when I hear them.

I’ve been struggling with this for a while now because I’m hearing or saying the “de dah dit” or “dah de dah” when identifying the letters, instead of hearing a single sound that indicates whether it’s a “R” or a “K”.

Is it because I haven’t heard it 10,000 times and don’t have to count anymore? Is it possible that I’m simply not playing it fast enough? I’ve tried up to 30 words per minute at times, but I still break the characters down into “dits” and “dahs.”

I know this is a common topic, but I’m just a bit confused about the difference and getting frustrated. I’m looking for a better understanding of the semantics involved.

Thanks,
Mark

some of them have a sound to me that is distinct and I recognize it right away. others I find myself visualizing it or counting, which I don't want to do. To try to gain recognition of their "sound" I have a short practice session where I put those together by themselves (in "Change CW settings"), about 8 or so of them, and speed them up just a little faster than I can "figure them out" so I'm forced to mash a letter in time. I'm always a little surprised when I get more of them with my fast "guess" than I expected. So part of my brain knows what they are.

It's difficult to mix in the numbers and letters together (like in the Morse Machine) because you tend to count to get them, and if you don't count, it's easy to mix up, say, 6 and B, and H and 5. But I try to type the one it feels like, and then correct if I was wrong.

Yes...learning at a faster speed is better; in fact, this site recommends 20x15 for training to initially learn the 40 characters. I know this is easier said than done, but think of Morse as music that you hear and decipher with your ears; the cadence and rhythm of the sound are what need to get imprinted within your brain, not counting dits and dahs, as this will add an extra layer. Over time these sounds will become easier and easier to recognize quickly. Training can be mundane and repetitive, but with diligence, instant character recognition can be achieved. Mix up your training tools, and here, LCWO, in my opinion, is certainly one of the best one-stop shops to do this. Use the Morse machine, speed up and slow down, and have 15 minutes of concentrated practice per day for lessons. Gains can be small, but consistency and focused study will get you there. For me this was not easy but today I am very happy with my gains. Enjoy learning, as they say it is not the destination but the journey, and CW learning is no exception. Once you get better, the rewards of understanding dits and dahs are magical. Best of luck on your journey!

I’m in the same boat, Mark. If I speed them up I slow them down in my head putting me waaayy behind the string. So, I’m trying to just listen to them 10,000 times.