Morse Code Abbreviations: CQ, 73, 88 and the Prosigns Operators Use
What CQ, 73, 88, SK, QTH and the other Morse abbreviations mean, the difference between abbreviations and prosigns, and how a real CW exchange sounds.
Listen to real Morse on the air and you will hear almost no plain English. Operators compress everything: CQ calls anyone listening, 73 signs off with best regards, HI is literally a laugh. These shortcuts date from the telegraph era, when every character cost time and money — and they are still the living dialect of CW today.
The essentials
| Code | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CQ | Calling anyone | “Seek you” — starts a conversation |
| DE | From | Separates call signs: CQ CQ DE … |
| K | Over, go ahead | Invitation to transmit |
| R | Received | Message copied |
| 73 | Best regards | The standard friendly sign-off |
| 88 | Love and kisses | The affectionate sign-off |
| SK | End of contact | Also sent silent-key for a deceased operator |
| QTH | My location is… | Q-code |
| QSL | I confirm receipt | Q-code, also the postcard hams exchange |
| QRZ | Who is calling me? | Q-code |
| ES | And | Telegraph shorthand |
| TU | Thank you | Often the very last thing sent |
| HI | Laughter | Morse’s emoji |
Abbreviations vs prosigns
Abbreviations like 73 or QTH are ordinary characters sent normally — you could spell them from the alphabet chart. Prosigns are different: two letters run together with no gap, making a single new sound. AR (end of message), BT (new paragraph) and the famous SOS are prosigns — di-di-di-dah-dah-dah-di-di-dit as one unbroken rhythm.
What a real exchange sounds like
A minimal contact, decoded: “CQ CQ DE N1ABC K” — anyone out there, this is N1ABC, go ahead. The reply: “N1ABC DE W2XYZ K”. Then signal reports, names, QTH, and the goodbye: “TU ES 73 SK” — thanks, and best regards, end of contact. Fourteen characters that would take three sentences in English.
The numbers themselves — 73, 88, and the digits in every call sign — are worth knowing cold: see Morse code numbers and punctuation.
Frequently asked questions
What does CQ mean in Morse code?
It is a general call to anyone listening — read aloud it sounds like “seek you”. An operator sending CQ is inviting any station to reply.
Why do operators say 73?
73 means “best regards” and dates from 19th-century telegraph number codes. 88 (“love and kisses”) comes from the same list. They are sent as ordinary digits.
What does SK mean?
Sent as a prosign at the end of a contact it means “end of work”. Written “silent key”, it is also the ham community’s term for an operator who has died.
New to all of this? Start with how to learn Morse code — abbreviations only pay off once the letters are automatic.
