Abbreviations Used On CW

Learning to send and receive is the first major step to becoming proficient at CW.  Once you have mastered the code you must also learn the 'language' of the CW operator.  On this page you will find the most frequently used abbreviations (i.e. shortcuts) that you will hear used on the air.  Knowing them will make your on the air CW experience complete.

0-9
Abbreviation Meaning
161
Best Regards and Love & Kisses (73 + 88)
33
Fondest Regards
55
Best Success
73
Best Regards
88
Love & Kisses

A
Abbreviation Meaning
A
Short hand for the number 1
ABT
About
AGN
Again
ANS
Answer
ANT
Antenna

B
Abbreviation Meaning
B4
Before
BC
Broadcast
BCNU
Be Seeing You
BD
Bad
BK
Back or Break
BN or BEN
Been
BTU
Back To You
BURO
QSL Bureau

C
Abbreviation Meaning
C
Correct
CB
Callbook or Citizen Band
CBA
Call Book Address
CFM
Confirm
CL
Closing Station Down
CLG
Calling
CLR
Clear
CONDX
Conditions
CONGRATS
Congratulations
CPY
Copy
CQ
General Call for a QSO (Contact)
CUD
Could

D
Abbreviation Meaning
DE
From (eg... W3AA de W3DF)
DR
Dear (Used by overseas Hams for Sir, Mister)
DSW
See You Again (Russian)
DWN
Down
DX
Long Distance Contact, or a Rare Station

E
Abbreviation Meaning
EL
Element (as in 3 EL Yagi)
ENUF
Enough
ES
And

F
Abbreviation Meaning
FB
Fine Business (Ham jargon for very good)
FD
Field Day
FER
For
FIST
Unique characterisitc of an operater's sending of CW
FONE
Phone (as in AM or SSB)
FM
From
FQ, FREQ
Frequency

G
Abbreviation Meaning
GA
Good Afternoon or Go Ahead
GB
Good Bye
GD
Good or Good Day
GE
Good Evening
GG
Going
GM
Good Morning
GN
Good Night
GND
Ground
GP
Ground Plane
GUD
Good

H
Abbreviation Meaning
HAM
Amateur Radio Operator
HC
Home Call
HI
Laughter on CW
HNY
Happy New Year
HPE
Hope
HR
Here or Ham Radio
HV
Have
HVY
Heavy
HW, HW?
How, or How Do You Copy Me?

I
Abbreviation Meaning
II
I Repeat
INV VEE
Inverted Vee

J
Abbreviation Meaning
JA
Japan
JMP
Jump

K
Abbreviation Meaning
K
Please Transmit
KN
Only the station I am working should transmit
KNW
Know

L
Abbreviation Meaning
LID
Poor Operator
LP
Log Periodic (type of directional antenna) or Long Path
LSB
Lower Sideband
LW
Long Wire (type of antenna)

M
Abbreviation Meaning
MGR
QSL Manager
MNI
Many
MSG
Message
MULT
Multiplier

N
Abbreviation Meaning
N
No or the number 9
NIL
Nothing Heard or No Copy
NR
Near or Novice Round Up
NW
Now or North West

O
Abbreviation Meaning
OB
Old Boy
OC
Old Chap
OM
Old Man (Ham jargon for an experienced operator)
OP
Operator, or Name
OPR
Operator or Operate
OT
Old Timer (A long time HAM)

P
Abbreviation Meaning
PSE
Please
PWR
Power
PO
Power Output
PFX
Prefix

Q
Abbreviation Meaning
See Q-Signals
.
QSLL
QSL 100% (Term used by overseas hams)

R
Abbreviation Meaning
R
Message Received or Correct
RCV
Receive
RCVD
Received
RCVR
Receiver
RIG
Equipment
RPRT or RPT
Report or Repeat
RX
Receiver

S
Abbreviation Meaning
SHUD
Should
SIG
Signal
SK
This is my last transmission
SKED
Schedule
SN
Soon
SNW
Snow
SP
Short Path
SRI
Sorry
STN
Station
SWL
Short Wave Listner

T
Abbreviation Meaning
T
Short hand for the number Zero
TEMP
Temperature
TEST
Contest
TFC
Traffic
TIL
Until
TKS
Thanks
TCVR
Transceiver
TT
That
TU
Thank You
TX
Transmitter
TNX
Thanks

U
Abbreviation Meaning
U
You
UFB
Ultra Fine Business (Ham jargon for very good - excellent)
UR
Your
USB
Upper Sideband

V
Abbreviation Meaning
VERT
Vertical Antenna
VY
Very

W
Abbreviation Meaning
W
Watts
WATSA
What'Cha Say
WID
With
WK
Work
WKD
Worked (Ham jargon for making a contact with a station)
WKG
Working
WL
Will
WPM
Words Per Minute (a measure of code speed)
WRK
Work
WUD
Would
WX
Weather

X
Abbreviation Meaning
XCVR
Transceiver
XMTR
Transmitter
XTAL
Crystal
XYL
Wife

Y
Abbreviation Meaning
YF
Wife
YL
Young Lady
YR, YRS
Your or Year, Yours or Years

Z
Abbreviation Meaning
Z
Zulu, GMT, or UTC Time
ZZ
Sleep

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