I've been practicing with apps and can send around 18 WPM fairly cleanly, but my receiving is stuck at about 15 WPM. Learning to receive is by far the hardest part - when starting out, you'll be able to send much faster than you can receive.

There's always debate over speed, with many hams happy at 16-20 WPM or slower. But I'd like to get comfortable copying real on-air QSOs. Most messages are sent at 12+ WPM, often 20+ WPM, so improving speed is necessary for proper CW operation.

What practice methods worked best for you to break through that receiving plateau?

Many hams recommend daily practice, but don't overdo it - limit to two fifteen-minute sessions per day to avoid burnout. If you miss a character, ignore it and listen for the next one - don't let it bog you down.

I found listening off-air really helped - tune the bottom of HF bands where CW contacts are easy to hear. Start with 80m or 40m for slower transmissions. Real conversations have rhythm that practice apps don't capture.

The main requirement is regular practice - half hour daily. The objective is getting away from thinking 'dit-dah = A' to instantly recognizing dit-dah as a sound relating to A. Try 13 WPM characters at 5 WPM spacing to train your ear for the cadences.