In CW operation, most of the expressions during radio communication are actually codes or abbreviations of English words.
Here are the most commonly used CW codes, fusion characters and abbreviations:
| AGN | again |
| ANT | antenna |
| AR | end of transmission (merged character) |
| AS | wait a moment, hold (merged character) |
| B4 | before |
| VK | break, interruption, interrupt, interrupt |
| BTW | by the way |
| CFM | confirm |
| CL | initial |
| CL | turn off station (merged character) |
| CQ | common call for all stations |
| CU | let’s meet |
| CUL | see you later |
| CPI | accepted |
| CPY | accepted |
| DE | from here (eg W1ZZZ DE LZ2ZZZ) |
| DWN | down |
| ES | and, also |
| FB | excellent |
| FER | for |
| GA | go ahead |
| GA | good afternoon |
| GD | good |
| GD | good day |
| GE | good evening |
| GL | good luck |
| GM | good morning |
| GN | good night |
| GUD | good |
| HI | cw laugh |
| HNY | Happy New Year |
| HR | here |
| HW | how (eg HW CPY) |
| K | “over” for you, my line is over, I accept. |
| KN | “over” just for you, you go, the others stay away, please. |
| LP | long way (walkthrough) |
| LSN | listening |
| MX | Merry Christmas |
| N | no (negation) |
| NR | number |
| NR | near |
| NW | now |
| OM | old friend (male ham) |
| OP | operator |
| OPR | operator |
| PSE | please |
| PWR | power |
| R | understood, yes, confirm, accepted |
| RCVR | receiver |
| RX | receiver |
| RIG | hardware |
| RPT | repeat |
| RPRT | report |
| SK | end of link (merged character) |
| SK | shut up key dead ham |
| SP | short path (walkthrough) |
| SRI | I’m sorry, I apologize |
| TMW | tomorrow |
| TMRW | tomorrow |
| TKS | thank you |
| TNX | thank you |
| TRX | transceiver |
| TU | thank you |
| TX | transmitter |
| UFB | extremely good |
| UR | yours, yours |
| VY | many |
| WX | weather (meteorological) |
| XMAS | Christmas |
| XYL | ham radio wife or other lady who is no longer YL |
| YL | young lady, miss |
| YR | year |
| 51 and 55 | ST slangs. Don’t use them! Bad practice. |
| 73 | all the best |
| 88 | love and kisses |
| 99 | go away, change carrier – not recommended. Bad practice. |
“73” and “88” are also used a lot in telephony: never say or write “many 73s”, “best 73s”; all these combinations are incorrect. The same goes for “88”. Always say in the singular, never with additions that make it sound plural.
“99” is a rude code and good manners exclude it. We don’t recommend using it, no matter how angry someone is on the air.
