What each setting does
Character speed (WPM)
Character speed sets the length of every dot and dash. It is measured in words per minute using the standard word PARIS, so one dot lasts 1.2 ÷ WPM seconds — 60 ms at 20 WPM, 100 ms at 12 WPM.
Farnsworth speed
Lower this below the character speed to stretch only the gaps between letters and words. Characters keep their fast, recognisable rhythm while you get more time to think. When the two speeds are equal, Farnsworth is off.
Tone
The pitch of the beep in hertz. Many operators listen between about 500 and 800 Hz; pick whatever is comfortable for your ears and speakers.
Volume
Scales the loudness of both live playback and the downloaded file. Start low when using headphones.
About the WAV download
The file is a standard uncompressed WAV: 16-bit PCM, mono, 44.1 kHz. It is generated in your browser from exactly the same samples you hear when you press Play, with 50 ms of silence before the first signal and 100 ms after the last. Each tone has a 5 ms soft start and end so it does not click.
If you hear nothing
- On iPhone and iPad, check that the ring/silent switch is not set to silent.
- Make sure the volume slider is above 0% and your device volume is up.
- Some browsers block sound until you tap the page; press Play again after the first tap.
Want to see the timing behind the sound? Open the timing explorer.