Morse Code Abbreviations, Q Codes and Prosigns
What do CQ, 73, QSL, QTH and SK mean? Common ham radio CW abbreviations, Q codes and prosigns with their meanings, origins and Morse sound.
- Basic procedure: CQ, DE, K, R, AGN, TNX
- Q codes: QTH, QSL, QSO, QRZ, QRM, QRS
- Common words and prosigns: 73, 88, RST, AR, SK, SOS
Radio operators use short codes to save time on the air. Tap any line to hear how it sounds in Morse.
Basic procedure
- CQ — −·−· −−·−
- Calling any station (seek you)
- DE — −·· ·
- From (before your own call sign) (from)
- K — −·−
- Over, go ahead (over)
- R — ·−·
- Received, roger (received)
- BK — −··· −·−
- Break / back to you (break)
- AGN — ·− −−· −·
- Please send again (again)
- PSE — ·−−· ··· ·
- Please (please)
- TNX — − −· −··−
- Thanks (thanks)
- TU — − ··−
- Thank you (thank you)
Q codes
- QTH — −−·− − ····
- Location
- QSL — −−·− ··· ·−··
- Receipt confirmed (QSL card)
- QSO — −−·− ··· −−−
- A contact (two-way exchange)
- QRZ — −−·− ·−· −−··
- Who is calling me?
- QRM — −−·− ·−· −−
- Man-made interference
- QRN — −−·− ·−· −·
- Natural noise (static)
- QRS — −−·− ·−· ···
- Send more slowly
- QRQ — −−·− ·−· −−·−
- Send faster
- QRP — −−·− ·−· ·−−·
- Low power
- QRT — −−·− ·−· −
- Stop sending
- QRL — −−·− ·−· ·−··
- Is this frequency in use?
- QSB — −−·− ··· −···
- Signal fading
- QSY — −−·− ··· −·−−
- Change frequency
Common abbreviations
- 73 — −−··· ···−−
- Best regards (sign-off) (best regards)
- 88 — −−−·· −−−··
- Love and kisses (love and kisses)
- GM — −−· −−
- Good morning (good morning)
- GA — −−· ·−
- Good afternoon (good afternoon)
- GE — −−· ·
- Good evening (good evening)
- GN — −−· −·
- Good night (good night)
- OM — −−− −−
- Male operator (old man)
- YL — −·−− ·−··
- Female operator (young lady)
- FB — ··−· −···
- Fine, excellent (fine business)
- HI — ···· ··
- Laughter
- UR — ··− ·−·
- Your (your)
- WX — ·−− −··−
- Weather (weather)
- RST — ·−· ··· −
- Signal report (readability, strength, tone) (readability, strength, tone)
- RIG — ·−· ·· −−·
- Radio equipment
- ANT — ·− −· −
- Antenna (antenna)
- HR — ···· ·−·
- Here (here)
- ES — · ···
- And (and)
Prosigns (sent as one character)
- AR — ·−·−·
- End of message
- SK — ···−·−
- End of contact
- BT — −···−
- Break (new paragraph)
- KN — −·−−·
- Go ahead, named station only
- AS — ·−···
- Wait
- CL — −·−··−··
- Closing station
- SOS — ···−−−···
- Distress signal