// PUNCTUATION · 6 SIGNS
Punctuation in Morse code.
Six official signs (ITU-R M.1677) — rarely used in CW, but essential for portable callsigns and radio pauses.
In amateur CW, period and comma are usually replaced by prosigns AR and BT. Punctuation still matters: "/" for portable callsigns ("W1NP/M"), "?" after a Q code to phrase a question.
Period·−·−·−
The period in Morse — used at the end of a sentence, six alternating symbols (·−·−·−). CW operators rarely write it: AR (end of message) or BT (paragraph break) is preferred.Comma−−··−−
The comma in Morse — six symbols (−−··−−). Like the period, hardly used in CW: phrases are split by BT or a plain space.Question mark··−−··
The question mark in Morse (··−−··) — six symmetric symbols. Heavily used after QRZ, QTH, QRT and other Q codes to turn a statement into a question.Slash−··−·
The slash in Morse (−··−·) — separates a callsign from its portable suffix ("F4ABC/P") or visiting operator suffix.Equals sign−···−
The equals sign in Morse (−···−) — shares its code with prosign BT. Used as a paragraph separator or long pause in a radio message.Plus sign·−·−·
The plus sign in Morse (·−·−·) — shares its code with prosign AR. Marks the end of a complete message.Equivalent prosigns
Three Morse signs share their code with an amateur prosign: "+" = AR (end of message), "=" = BT (paragraph break); "." and "," are rarely sent because AR and BT cover their role.