Farnsworth timing gives you room to recognize the sound.

Two speed numbers, two different jobs

Character speed controls the duration of dits, dahs, and the small gaps inside a character. At 20 WPM character speed, a dit lasts 60 milliseconds and a dah lasts 180 milliseconds. A K still has its compact long–short–long shape, even when you leave more time before the next letter.

Effective speed describes the overall pace after accounting for the wider spacing. A setting of 20 WPM characters and 8 WPM spacing means the individual rhythms are formed at 20 WPM, but the gaps are expanded to produce the slower overall rate under the standard PARIS calibration.

It does not mean every arbitrary message contains eight literal words each minute. Word lengths and character patterns differ. PARIS provides a conventional reference for comparing timing.

Listen to the same text with different gaps

Both examples below form the characters at 20 WPM. The first uses wider gaps; the second uses standard 20 WPM spacing. Pay attention to the silence between M and E, rather than expecting the tones inside either character to change.

For a learner who can identify a character but needs a moment to recall its name, that extra space can make a sequence more manageable. The aim is to recognize the character during the gap, then prepare for the next sound.

What changes in the timing?

At standard spacing, a dah lasts three dit units, the gap inside a character lasts one, a letter gap lasts three, and a word gap lasts seven. Farnsworth timing extends the gaps between letters and words while retaining the rhythm inside each character.

Ditday keeps the letter-to-word gap ratio at three to seven as those gaps expand. Its sound generation uses the PARIS reference to calculate the spacing, instead of applying an arbitrary pause after every character. You can inspect the visual cue if it helps you understand the separation, then hide it to return to listening.

Choose a setting you can use consistently

New learners start at 20 WPM characters with an effective 8 WPM pace. If you can recognize individual letters but lose your place in a group, try wider spacing. If the pitch is uncomfortable, adjust it separately; changing pitch does not change Morse timing.

As more sounds are introduced, ditday gradually raises the spacing speed. You can also adjust it in sound settings. Move toward shorter gaps when your recall is reliable across several sessions, rather than judging readiness from one unusually easy exercise.

Farnsworth spacing is a training aid, not a separate alphabet or a measure of mastery. Eventually, practice with standard spacing as well as longer messages so you become comfortable with a continuous stream.

Use it alongside gradual character learning

The Koch method limits how many unfamiliar characters you are learning at once. Farnsworth timing limits how quickly those characters arrive. Combining these choices lets you focus on accurate recognition before increasing the amount and pace of information.

Try a short lesson, then use focused practice for the sounds or sequences that still need attention.