Morse operators shorten common instructions and phrases so an exchange takes less time. Some are ordinary abbreviations sent as separate letters; others are prosigns, in which two letters are run together without the normal gap to form one procedural signal.

Common CW abbreviations

Code	Meaning	Typical use
CQ	Calling any station	Starting a general call
DE	From / this is	Placed before the sender's call sign
K	Go ahead	Inviting any named station to transmit
KN	Go ahead, named station only	Limiting the reply to one station
R	Received / understood	Confirming reception
PSE	Please	A compact request
TNX or TU	Thanks / thank you	Closing or acknowledging
QTH	Location	Asking for or giving a station location
QSL	Confirm receipt	Requesting or confirming reception
QRZ?	Who is calling me?	Asking an unidentified caller to repeat

These are conventions used in radio communication, not extra alphabet characters. For example, CQ is sent as C (-.-.) followed by a normal letter gap and Q (--.-).

Common Morse prosigns

Prosign	Pattern	Meaning
AR	`.-.-.`	End of message
AS	`.-...`	Wait
BT	`-...-`	Separator or new paragraph
SK	`...-.-`	End of contact or work
SOS	`...---...`	Distress

The letters in a prosign are sent without an inter-character gap. That is why the pattern for AR looks like one continuous five-signal character instead of A (.-) followed by R (.-.). Printed references often place a bar above the paired letters to show that they run together.

What do 73 and 88 mean?

Two number codes survived from nineteenth-century telegraph shorthand:

73 means “best regards.” It is a friendly sign-off, not “73s”; the code is already plural in customary use.
88 means “love and kisses” and is usually reserved for a familiar recipient.

They are sent as ordinary digits. In full International Morse, 73 is --... ...--, with the normal character gap between 7 and 3. See the numbers reference if you want to learn the five-signal digit pattern.

Example of a short contact

A simplified call might look like this:

CQ CQ DE K1ABC K

It means “Calling any station; this is K1ABC; go ahead.” A responding station sends the caller's call sign, DE, its own call sign, and K. Real contacts may add a signal report, operator name, location, equipment, and a closing such as 73 followed by the SK prosign.

Call signs contain letters and numbers, so spacing matters. Keep the normal gap between every character in a call sign. Run characters together only when intentionally sending a recognized prosign.

Abbreviations versus Q signals

Ordinary abbreviations such as PSE and TNX are shortened English words. Q signals are standardized three-letter groups that begin with Q. Adding a question changes many of them from a statement to a request: QTH? asks “What is your location?”, while QTH followed by information gives the location.

The meanings can vary slightly by service and context, so beginners should master a small useful set rather than memorize a huge list. CQ, DE, K, R, QTH, QSL, 73, AR, and SK cover much of a basic amateur-radio exchange.

Practice the patterns accurately

Use the Morse code translator to encode the ordinary abbreviations and call signs. Remember that a text translator will normally place letter gaps between A and R, B and T, or S and K. To practice a prosign's true sound, use the continuous pattern shown in the table.

For the timing difference between a one-unit internal gap and a three-unit letter gap, read Morse code audio and timing. For a broader list of everyday expressions, see common Morse code words and phrases.

Morse Code Abbreviations and Prosigns