What does AR mean in Morse code?

**AR (.-.-.) means end of message** — "all received." It is sent after the message body to signal transmission is complete. AR is also the Morse code for the plus sign + and one of the most frequently used prosigns in CW.

What does SK mean in Morse code?

**SK (...-.-) means end of contact** — the QSO is finished and the station is signing off. "Silent Key" has also taken on the additional meaning of a deceased ham operator. VA is an identical prosign used by some European operators.

What does CQ mean in Morse code?

**CQ (-.-. --.-) is a general call to any station**, meaning "seek you" or "come quickly." It invites any operator listening to reply and begin a contact. CQ is typically sent three times followed by DE and your callsign, then K.

What is the difference between K and KN?

**K (-.-) invites any station** to reply. **KN (-.--.) invites only the named station**, excluding all others. Using KN prevents pile-ups and ensures orderly conversation. KN is also the Morse code for the open parenthesis character.

What does AS mean in Morse code?

**AS (.-...) means wait or stand by**. It tells the other station to hold transmission briefly. Often followed by a number: "AS 5" means wait 5 minutes. AS is also the Morse code for the ampersand & character.

What does SOS mean in Morse code?

**SOS (...---...) is the international distress signal**, sent as one continuous unbroken sequence — three dots, three dashes, three dots — without any inter-letter or inter-word gaps. SOS means immediate life-threatening danger. Sending it falsely is a criminal offence in most jurisdictions.

What is the difference between AR and SK?

**AR ends a single message** within a contact — more transmissions may follow. **SK ends the entire contact** — the station is signing off. A typical QSO ends with: message body + AR + invitation, then final exchange + SK, sometimes followed by CL if going off air entirely.

Why are prosigns sent without inter-letter gaps?

Prosigns are fused into a single unit so they are **instantly distinguishable from regular words**. A gap would make KN sound like two separate letters K and N. The fusion creates a unique sound pattern that an experienced CW operator recognizes immediately, even at high speeds.

Morse Code Prosigns — All CW Procedural Signals, Chart, Audio & Quiz

Q: What does BT mean in Morse code?

**BT (-...-) means break or new paragraph**. It separates major sections within a message, equivalent to a paragraph break. In ARRL radiogram format, BT separates preamble, address, and text. BT is also the Morse code for the equals sign =.

Prosigns

2–9

Signals Each

ITU

Standard

All Morse Code Prosigns — Complete Chart

Click any prosign card to listen, copy its Morse code, or jump to its explanation.

Start of Transmission / Attention

-.-.

Start

Commence Transmission (same as KA)

-.-.

Start

New Line / Start New Paragraph

.-.-

Start

End of Message / All Received

.-.-.

End

End of Contact / Silent Key

...-.-

End

End of Work (same as SK)

...-.-

End

Go Ahead — Any Station

-.-

Flow

Go Ahead — Named Station Only

-.--.

Flow

Go Ahead — Closing Parenthesis

-.--.-

Flow

Wait / Stand By

.-...

Flow

Break — Invite Reply

-...-.-

Flow

General Call — Any Station

-.-. --.-

Calling

Closing Station / Going QRT

-.-. .-..

Calling

From / This is (identifier)

-.. .

Calling

New Paragraph / Break Text

-...-

Message

Understood / Received

...-.

Message

Fraction Bar / Division

-..-.

Message

Urgency / Keep Working

-.-.--

Message

SOS

International Distress Signal

...---...

Special

Shift to Wabun (Japanese Morse)

--.---

Special

Complete Morse Code Prosigns Reference Table — All CW Procedural Signals
Prosign	Meaning	Morse Code	Category	Signals	Punctuation
KA	Start of Transmission / Attention	-.-.	Start	4	—
CT	Commence Transmission (same as KA)	-.-.	Start	4	—
AA	New Line / Start New Paragraph	.-.-	Start	4	—
AR	End of Message / All Received	.-.-.	End	5	+
SK	End of Contact / Silent Key	...-.-	End	6	—
VA	End of Work (same as SK)	...-.-	End	6	—
K	Go Ahead — Any Station	-.-	Flow	3	—
KN	Go Ahead — Named Station Only	-.--.	Flow	5	(
KK	Go Ahead — Closing Parenthesis	-.--.-	Flow	6	)
AS	Wait / Stand By	.-...	Flow	5	&
BK	Break — Invite Reply	-...-.-	Flow	7	—
CQ	General Call — Any Station	-.-. --.-	Calling	8	—
CL	Closing Station / Going QRT	-.-. .-..	Calling	8	—
DE	From / This is (identifier)	-.. .	Calling	4	—
BT	New Paragraph / Break Text	-...-	Message	5	=
SN	Understood / Received	...-.	Message	5	—
DN	Fraction Bar / Division	-..-.	Message	5	/
KW	Urgency / Keep Working	-.-.--	Message	6	!
SOS	International Distress Signal	...---...	Special	9	—
NJ	Shift to Wabun (Japanese Morse)	--.---	Special	6	—

Operating Procedures

How Prosigns Are Used — Category Guide

Prosigns follow strict conventions on when they appear in a QSO (contact). Understanding the order of operations makes each prosign instantly recognizable in context.

▶

Starting Signals

KA · CT · AA

Sent at the very beginning of a transmission to alert the receiving station that a message is coming. KA / CT opens every transmission. AA starts a new line within a message.

KA CQ CQ CQ DE W1AW W1AW K

■

Ending Signals

AR · SK · VA

AR ends the message body (more to follow from you or another). SK / VA ends the entire contact — the station is done and may go off-air.

...73 de W1AW AR W2XYZ K
...73 de W1AW SK

⇄

Flow Control

K · KN · AS · BK

K invites any station to reply. KN invites only the named station. AS asks the other station to wait. BK breaks mid-message to invite a quick reply.

...PSE QSL de W1AW KN
QRX 5 min AS

📡

Calling Signals

CQ · CL · DE

CQ is the general call to any station worldwide. DE means "from" — always followed by callsign. CL closes the station and goes off air.

CQ CQ CQ DE W1AW W1AW W1AW K

✉

Message Signals

BT · SN · DN · KW

BT separates sections within a message. SN confirms receipt. DN encodes fractions. KW signals urgency.

NAME JOHN BT QTH BOSTON BT RST 599

🆘

Distress Signal

SOS

SOS is sent as one continuous unbroken unit — ...---... — with no gaps between letters. It is the internationally recognized distress call on all frequencies.

SOS SOS SOS DE SHIP XYZ SOS SOS SOS

Typical CW QSO — Where Each Prosign Appears

Open	W1AW	KA CQ CQ CQ DE W1AW W1AW W1AW K	General call, any station reply
Reply	W2XYZ	W1AW DE W2XYZ W2XYZ KN	Directed reply to W1AW only
Message	W1AW	W2XYZ DE W1AW BT NAME JOHN BT QTH BOSTON BT RST 599 AR KN	BT separates sections, AR ends message
Wait	W1AW	QRX 2 AS	Stand by 2 minutes
Reply	W2XYZ	SN TNX 73 DE W2XYZ AR W1AW K	SN = understood, AR ends, K = go ahead
Close	W1AW	73 DE W1AW SK CL	SK ends contact, CL closes station

Each Prosign in Detail

Every prosign has its own anchor section with meaning, tap pattern, usage examples, and notes on any related punctuation mark. Sections are linkable directly — e.g. /morse-code-prosigns/#morse-code-AR.

-.-.

KA — Start of Transmission / Attention

4 signals · Category: Start · Also written: CT

Sent at the very beginning of every CW transmission to alert the receiving station. KA (also called CT — Commence Transmission) is the prosign equivalent of clearing your throat before speaking. It is fused: dit not sent as K then A separately.

Taplong · short · long · shortSounddah dit dah dit

KA CQ CQ DE W1AW KOpens every TXSame code as CT

-.-.

CT — Commence Transmission (same as KA)

4 signals · Category: Start · Also written: KA

CT is the ITU designation for the start-of-transmission prosign. It produces exactly the same Morse code as KA (-.-.). European operators and maritime services tend to use CT; North American ham operators tend to use KA. They are interchangeable.

Taplong · short · long · shortSounddah dit dah dit

ITU designation for KAMaritime / European usage

.-.-

AA — New Line / Start New Paragraph

4 signals · Category: Start

AA marks the start of a new line within a formal message. In radiogram (ARRL traffic net) format, AA separates the address line from the text. It is the CW equivalent of pressing Enter. Note: this is the same Morse sequence as the first four elements of the period (.-.-.-) cut short.

Tapshort · long · short · longSounddit dah dit dah

Used in formal radiogramsSeparates address lines

.-.-.

AR — End of Message / All Received

5 signals · Category: End

AR means "all received" or "end of message." It is sent after the message body to signal the message is complete but the operator may still be on frequency and inviting a reply. AR is one of the most frequently used prosigns in CW.

Also the punctuation mark + — AR and the plus sign share the identical Morse code .-.-.

Tapshort · long · short · long · shortSounddit dah dit dah dit

...73 de W1AW AR KNMessage body + AR + invitation

...-.-

SK — End of Contact / Silent Key

6 signals · Category: End · Also written: VA

SK is the definitive closing prosign. It means the QSO is finished and the station is signing off. "Silent Key" has taken on the additional meaning of a deceased ham operator — a tribute to operators who have passed away. SK is sent after the final exchange, not after each transmission.

Tapshort · short · short · long · short · longSounddit dit dit dah dit dah

73 de W1AW SK73 de W1AW SK CLMemorial: SK (callsign)

...-.-

VA — End of Work (same as SK)

6 signals · Category: End · Also written: SK

VA produces the exact same Morse code as SK (...-.-). It is the ITU designation for end-of-work. Some European and British operators prefer VA while North Americans use SK. Both mean the same thing: the contact is over.

Tapshort · short · short · long · short · longSounddit dit dit dah dit dah

ITU name for SKEuropean usage

-.-

K — Go Ahead — Any Station

3 signals · Category: Flow

K is the shortest prosign and one of the most powerful. It means "go ahead" — any station may reply. Used after CQ calls and at the end of transmissions where any station is welcome to respond. Often combined: CQ K, AR K, DE W1AW K.

Taplong · short · longSounddah dit dah

CQ CQ DE W1AW KAR W2XYZ KOpen invitation

-.--.

KN — Go Ahead — Named Station Only

5 signals · Category: Flow

KN is K with N — "named station only." Where K invites anyone to reply, KN restricts the reply to the specific station being addressed. This prevents pile-ups on busy frequencies and ensures orderly QSO conduct.

Also the punctuation mark ( — KN and the open parenthesis share the identical Morse code -.--.

Taplong · short · long · long · shortSounddah dit dah dah dit

AR W2XYZ KNRestricts reply to named station

-.--.-

KK — Go Ahead — Closing Parenthesis

6 signals · Category: Flow

KK is the closing parenthesis prosign — KN plus one extra dash. It is less commonly used as a standalone prosign and more frequently appears as the close parenthesis character in formal message text.

Also the punctuation mark ) — KK and the close parenthesis share the identical Morse code -.--.-

Taplong · short · long · long · short · longSounddah dit dah dah dit dah

Close parenthesis in messagesLess common as standalone

.-...

AS — Wait / Stand By

5 signals · Category: Flow

AS tells the other station to hold — stand by briefly. Often followed by a number indicating minutes: "AS 5" means wait 5 minutes. One of the most human prosigns: it acknowledges the other station while buying time.

Also the punctuation mark & — AS and the ampersand share the identical Morse code .-...

Tapshort · long · short · short · shortSounddit dah dit dit dit

QRX 5 ASAS (brief pause)Stand by momentarily

-...-.-

BK — Break — Invite Reply

7 signals · Category: Flow

BK breaks the flow mid-message to invite an immediate reply from the other station. It is a conversational device — equivalent to pausing mid-sentence to check if the listener is following. BK is also the call used to break into an ongoing QSO.

Taplong · short · short · short · long · short · longSounddah dit dit dit dah dit dah

NAME JOHN BKBreaking into a QSOMid-message check

-.-. --.-

CQ — General Call — Any Station

8 signals · Category: Calling

CQ is the most famous prosign in radio — a general call meaning "seek you" or "come quickly." Any station hearing a CQ is invited to reply. CQ is typically sent three times followed by DE and your callsign, then K. Note: CQ is sent with a normal inter-letter gap (unlike most prosigns), but is treated as a procedural call.

Taplong · short · long · short · long · long · short · longSounddah dit dah dit dah dah dit dah

CQ CQ CQ DE W1AW KCQ DX DE W1AW KMost famous radio call

-.-. .-..

CL — Closing Station / Going QRT

8 signals · Category: Calling

CL (going QRT / closing) signals that the station is shutting down and will not be listening. Unlike SK which ends a QSO, CL ends the operating session entirely. Often used together: SK CL. After CL, the station is off the air.

Taplong · short · long · short · short · long · short · shortSounddah dit dah dit dit dah dit dit

73 de W1AW SK CLGoing QRT / off air

-.. .

DE — From / This is (identifier)

4 signals · Category: Calling

DE is technically a French word meaning "from" adopted into international CW. It is always followed by a callsign: "DE W1AW" means "this is W1AW." Unlike pure prosigns, DE is sent with a normal inter-letter gap but is universally treated as a procedural identifier.

Taplong · short · short · space · shortSounddah dit dit (space) dit

CQ DE W1AW KW2XYZ DE W1AW ARAlways before callsign

-...-

BT — New Paragraph / Break Text

5 signals · Category: Message

BT separates major sections within a message — equivalent to a paragraph break. In ARRL radiogram format, BT separates the preamble, address, and text sections. The symmetric dash-dot-dot-dot-dash is one of the most elegant and recognizable patterns in CW.

Also the punctuation mark = — BT and the equals sign share the identical Morse code -...-

Taplong · short · short · short · longSounddah dit dit dit dah

NAME JOHN BT QTH BOSTONParagraph separatorRadiogram section divider

...-.

SN — Understood / Received

5 signals · Category: Message · Also written: VE

SN (also called VE) means "understood" or "I have received your transmission." It is the CW equivalent of "copy that" or "roger." Sent as acknowledgement after a message or instruction. SN and VE produce the same Morse code.

Tapshort · short · short · long · shortSounddit dit dit dah dit

SN TNX 73Roger / Copy thatSame code as VE

-..-.

DN — Fraction Bar / Division

5 signals · Category: Message

DN encodes the fraction bar or division symbol in formal message text. Used when a number fraction like 3/4 or a callsign separator needs to be transmitted unambiguously in written-format traffic.

Also the punctuation mark / — DN and the slash share the identical Morse code -..-.

Taplong · short · short · long · shortSounddah dit dit dah dit

3 DN 4 (meaning 3/4)W1AW DN 7 (portable)

-.-.--

KW — Urgency / Keep Working

6 signals · Category: Message

KW signals urgency — "keep working," do not break off the transmission. Used when an important or time-sensitive message is being sent and the operator does not want to be interrupted.

Also the punctuation mark ! — KW and the exclamation mark share the identical Morse code -.-.--

Taplong · short · long · short · long · longSounddah dit dah dit dah dah

URGENT KW (message)Priority traffic marker

SOS

...---...

SOS — International Distress Signal

9 signals · Category: Special

SOS is the international Morse distress signal, adopted in 1906. It is sent as one continuous unbroken unit — three dots, three dashes, three dots — with no inter-letter gaps. The letters S-O-S are a convenient memory aid but the signal is a single prosign. SOS means immediate life-threatening danger and demands response from all stations.

Emergency use only. SOS is a legal distress signal on all frequencies. Sending it falsely is a criminal offence in most jurisdictions. If you hear SOS, immediately acknowledge and relay to rescue authorities.

Tapshort·short·short · long·long·long · short·short·shortSounddit dit dit — dah dah dah — dit dit dit

SOS SOS SOS DE (callsign)International distressNo inter-letter gaps

--.---

NJ — Shift to Wabun (Japanese Morse)

6 signals · Category: Special

NJ signals a shift from standard international Morse code to Wabun code — the Japanese Morse system used to encode Japanese kana characters. After NJ, the receiving operator knows to decode subsequent characters using the Wabun table rather than the ITU table. Rare in modern use but historically significant in Japanese maritime communications.

Taplong · long · short · long · long · longSounddah dah dit dah dah dah

NJ (switch to Wabun)Japanese maritime CWRare in modern use

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.-.-. ...-.- -.-. --.- -.. . .-- .---- .- .-- -.-

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Frequently Asked Questions

A **prosign** (procedural signal) is a special Morse code sequence sent as a single fused unit — without the normal inter-letter gap between the component letters. Prosigns convey operating instructions like start, end, wait, go ahead, or call for help rather than spelling words.

Keep Learning

Alphabet A–Z Numbers 0-9 Punctuations ProSigns Q-Codes Learning Guide Practice Game Full Translator

All Morse Code Prosigns — Complete Chart

How Prosigns Are Used — Category Guide

Starting Signals

Ending Signals

Flow Control

Calling Signals

Message Signals

Distress Signal

Typical CW QSO — Where Each Prosign Appears

Each Prosign in Detail

KA — Start of Transmission / Attention

CT — Commence Transmission (same as KA)

AA — New Line / Start New Paragraph

AR — End of Message / All Received

SK — End of Contact / Silent Key

VA — End of Work (same as SK)

K — Go Ahead — Any Station

KN — Go Ahead — Named Station Only

KK — Go Ahead — Closing Parenthesis

AS — Wait / Stand By

BK — Break — Invite Reply

CQ — General Call — Any Station

CL — Closing Station / Going QRT

DE — From / This is (identifier)

BT — New Paragraph / Break Text

SN — Understood / Received

DN — Fraction Bar / Division

KW — Urgency / Keep Working

SOS — International Distress Signal

NJ — Shift to Wabun (Japanese Morse)

Prosign Tools

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Practice Quiz — Both Directions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Morse code prosign?

What does AR mean in Morse code?

What does SK mean in Morse code?

What does CQ mean in Morse code?

What is the difference between K and KN?

What does BT mean in Morse code?

What does AS mean in Morse code?

What does SOS mean in Morse code?

What is the difference between AR and SK?

Why are prosigns sent without inter-letter gaps?

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