Hog-Morse For instance, the international code has only two symbols, dots and dashes, but the American code has several lengths of dash. There is a distinction between "L" () and "T" (). Also, in the international code the space between symbols within a character is always the same, but American Morse has two different spaces. The letters "S" (), "C" (), and "R" () all consist of three dots, but the timing is different in each case. A frequently quoted, but possibly apocryphal, story from the historical period concerns the similarity of "L" and "T" in the American code. A company
Morse code abbreviations code, Q code, Z code as well as the use of Morse prosigns. The skills required to have efficient fast conversations with Morse comprise more than simply knowing the Morse code symbols for the alphabet and numerals. Skilled telegraphists must also know many traditional International Morse code communications conventions. In the following example of a typical casual Morse code conversation between two stations there is extensive use of such: Morse code abbreviations, brevity codes, Morse procedural signs, and other such conventions. An example casual Morse code (CW) conversation between Station S1 and Station S2 is illustrated in the following paragraphs.