Morse Code Prosigns (Procedural Signals)
Master the essential procedural commands (, , , , , ) used in radiotelegraphy traffic. Explore family-wise classifications, alternate ASCII punctuation mappings, and an annotated step-by-step CW QSO example.
Prosign Audio Synthesizer Settings
Adjust transmission speed & tone pitch before playing prosigns below.
Prosigns Grouped by Operational Family
In radiotelegraphy, prosigns perform distinct operational roles ranging from traffic handoff to error recovery and emergency priority.
Transmission & Handover
Controls who transmits next and signals message boundaries.
Calling & Identification
Establishes contact and identifies transmitting stations.
Pause, Error & Ack
Handles timing delays, errors, and receipt confirmations.
Message Structure
Paging, line breaks, and heading markers for formal telegrams.
Emergency & Distress
Highest priority radio signals taking immediate precedence.
Station Status & Closure
Shutting down operations or declaring no further messages.
Complete Morse Code Prosigns Chart
Filter by family or search any prosign, ASCII alternate punctuation, or sound pattern.
| Prosign Symbol | Concatenated Code | Dit-Dah Rhythm | Alternate Punctuation / ASCII | Operational Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <AR> | .-.-. | di-dah-di-dah-dit | + (Plus) | End of Message / Out Appended at end of transmission or formal message telegram. | |
| <BT> | -...- | dah-di-di-di-dah | = (Equal Sign) | Break / New Paragraph Separates thoughts or sections within a continuous text transmission. | |
| / | ...-.- | di-di-di-dah-di-dah | End of Contact | End of Work / Silent Key Final sign-off terminating contact between stations entirely. | |
| K | -.- | dah-di-dah | Over (Open) | Invitation to Transmit (Open) Signals any listening station that you are yielding the frequency. | |
| -.--. | dah-di-dah-dah-dit | ( (Left Paren) | Invite Named Station ONLY Strict invitation to transmit aimed ONLY at the specified station. | ||
| .-... | di-dah-di-di-dit | & (Ampersand) | Wait / Standby Requests receiving station to wait for a moment (e.g. AS 2 MIN). | ||
| -...-.- | dah-di-di-di-dah-di-dah | Break-In | Break-in Interruption Used in full break-in QSK mode to instantly interrupt or request quick reply. | ||
| CQ | -.-. --.- | dah-di-dah-dit dah-dah-di-dah | General Call | General Call to All Stations Call to any listening station inviting a reply to establish contact. | |
| DE | -.. . | dah-di-dit dit | From / This Is | From Station / This Is Precedes callsign to identify the transmitting station. | |
| QRZ? | --.- .-. --.. ..--.. | dah-dah-di-dah di-dah-dit dah-dah-di-dit di-di-dah-dah-di-dit | Who is calling? | Who Is Calling Me? Queries the identity of a station that just called. | |
| ........ | 8 dits continuous | Error / Backspace | Error Signal (8 Dits) Signals that the preceding word was sent in error and will be re-transmitted. | ||
| R | .-. | di-dah-dit | Roger / Solid | Received Solid / Roger Confirms that the last transmission was received completely and understood. | |
| ...-. | di-di-di-dah-dit | Verified | Verified / Understood Confirms formal telegram message verification and comprehension. | ||
| .-.- | di-dah-di-dah | \n (New Line) | New Line / All After Used to force line feed or request text repeat after a word. | ||
| ..--. | di-di-dah-dah-dit | ? (Interrogative) | Interrogative / Query Prepended to a Q-code to convert an assertion into a question. | ||
| / | -.-.- | dah-di-dah-di-dah | Attention / Preamble | Start of Message / Attention Attention preamble transmitted before the start of a formal message. | |
| ...---... | di-di-di-dah-dah-dah-di-di-dit | Distress | International Distress Signal Concatenated SOS signal requesting immediate maritime or life-safety aid. | ||
| XXX | -..- -..- -..- | dah-di-di-dah dah-di-di-dah dah-di-di-dah | Urgency / Pan-Pan | Urgency Signal (Pan-Pan) Transmitted three times to signal an urgent safety message concerning a vessel or person. | |
| TTT | - - - | dah dah dah | Safety Warning | Safety Warning (Securite) Transmitted three times to introduce a navigational or meteorological safety warning. | |
| -.-. .-.. | dah-di-dah-dit di-dah-di-dit | Closing Station | Closing Station / Off Air Signals that the station is shutting down and going off the air. | ||
| -. .. .-.. | dah-dit di-dit di-dah-di-dit | Nothing Follows | Nothing Follows / No Traffic Indicates that the station has no further messages or traffic to transmit. | ||
| 73 | --... ...-- | dah-dah-di-di-dit di-di-di-dah-dah | Best Regards | Best Regards / Friendly Sign-off Traditional friendly closing greeting between operators at the end of a contact. |
Understanding Concatenated Prosigns
What makes a procedural signal fundamentally different from ordinary words or standard punctuation?
The Rule of Inter-Character Spacing
When sending normal text in Morse code, ITU-R M.1677-1 dictates a mandatory 3-dot unit pause between individual letters. For example, transmitting the letters A and R as separate words sounds like:
In contrast, a prosign is formed by running the constituent letters together with ZERO inter-character pause (1 dit element space between dits and dahs):
Overbar Notation & ASCII Equivalents
Because keyboard software and printed logs need a way to distinguish run-together signals from normal character sequences, two universal conventions were created:
- Overbar Notation (, , ): Used in formal paper logbooks and official ITU manuals.
- Angle Brackets (<AR>, <BT>): Used in computer telegraphy decoders and loggers.
- ASCII Punctuation Mapping (+, =, &): Keyboards map
.-.-.to+and-...-to=for rapid typing.
Annotated Typical Amateur Radio CW QSO
Examine a complete step-by-step Morse code conversation between Station A (W1AW) and Station B (K2GXT), highlighting every prosign and procedural signal in action.
Station K2GXT calls W1AW twice to ensure clarity over noise, ending with K to hand over control.
Station K2GXT starts with R (Roger / solid copy), uses = () between sections, and ends with KN.
Both stations append (...-.-) to indicate final termination of the QSO contact.
Prosigns & CW Signals FAQ
What is the difference between a Prosign and a Q-Code?
A prosign is a single concatenated Morse character (like or ) with zero internal character pauses. A Q-code (like QTH, QSL, QRZ) consists of three standard Morse letters transmitted with normal inter-letter spacing.
Why is K different from KN?
K (-.-) is an open invitation to transmit meant for any station listening on frequency. (-.--.) is a strict invitation directed exclusively at the named station, instructing third-party stations not to break in.
How do I send an error signal in Morse code?
If you make a mistake while transmitting, send 8 rapid dits (........) continuous. This instructs the receiving operator to disregard the preceding word and wait for the re-transmission.
Where do the ASCII mappings (+ and =) come from?
In computerized teletype networks and modern amateur radio software (such as FLdigi or N1MM), + generates (.-.-.) and = generates (-...-), allowing touch-typists to execute prosigns without manual code entry.
đ Explore Related Tools & References
Want to translate secret messages, practice Morse code, or check technical ITU standards? Explore our interactive tools and reference guides: