Ham radio • CW shorthand

CW abbreviations in Morse code

Hams shorten everything on CW. Learn the standard abbreviations once and your QSOs become fast, friendly, and surprisingly readable. Tap any abbreviation below for its full page with examples and context.

Greetings & sign-off

People

Operating

Connectors

Tip

A typical CQ goes: CQ CQ CQ DE [your call] [your call] K. Replies often include RST, QTH, name, and rig.