Ham abbreviations

Hams shorten anything they can — first to save time on CW, these days on phone too. 73, QSO, DX, OM, FB… Below you’ve got a cheat sheet, flashcards and a quiz with the most common abbreviations, so they become second nature.

37 abbreviations core + extras CW and phone flashcards and quiz

Where it came from: most abbreviations come from English words (FB = fine business, TNX = thanks), and the numbers 73/88 are from an old telegraphy code. Then there are CW prosigns (AR, SK, K) — control signals for a contact. The “Q” codes are separate.

Abbreviation cheat sheet

Core — most common

CQGeneral call — “looking for a contact”

QSOContact (two-way exchange)

DXDistant / challenging station

73Regards, best wishes

88Kisses (to ladies)

OMOld Man — fellow operator

YLYoung Lady — female operator

XYLOperator’s wife

RSTReport: readability–strength–tone

TNXThanks (also TKS / TU)

PSEPlease

ESAnd / plus

DEFrom (precedes the transmitting station’s callsign)

KOver — “go ahead and transmit”

RRoger — copied all

FBFine business — great, excellent

Extras — worth knowing

AREnd of transmission (prosign +)

SKEnd of contact

BKBreak — quick switch to receive

KNOver — called station only

HRHere

HWHow do you copy me? (how?)

URYour / you’re

RIGEquipment, radio

ANTAntenna

PWRTransmitter power

WXWeather

CFMConfirm

AGNAgain / repeat

CULSee you later

GMGood morning

GEGood evening

GLGood luck

VYVery

NWNow

SRISorry

72QRP greetings

card 1 / 37 · you know 0

What does it mean?

Keep practising

Talk like an OM

Abbreviations stick fastest in CW. Practise Morse and get to grips with the Q codes — together they form the language of the ether.

Q codes tutorial ·− Morse trainer

Comments

Your comments and questions

Got a question, spotted an error or want to add something? Post it. Every comment is checked straight away by an AI moderator: vulgar, offensive or pointless posts won’t appear on the site.

No one has commented yet. Be the first!