Walkie talkie slang: radio lingo, 10-codes and CB talk, decoded

Most radio talk needs only a few words: "over" when it's the other person's turn, "out" when you're done, "copy" or "roger" for "I heard you," and "say again" when you didn't. Add 10-4 (understood) and "what's your 20?" (where are you?) and you can follow most walkie-talkie and CB conversations.

Below are the prowords, the 10-codes that are still common, the CB slang you'll hear on channel 19, and what the FCC rules say about using codes on each kind of radio.

The essential prowords

These come from military and aviation voice procedure, and they work on any radio because each one is short and hard to mishear.

A few habits matter more than vocabulary. Say who you're calling, then who you are ("Mom, this is Ella"). Press the button, pause a beat, then talk, so your first word isn't clipped. Keep it short, because only one person on the channel can talk at a time. Our GMRS radio etiquette guide covers the rest.

The 10-codes people still use

Ten-codes were developed for police radio starting in 1937, credited to Charles Hopper of the Illinois State Police and later standardized by APCO, the public-safety communications association, according to Wikipedia's ten-code history. The "ten" gave early transmitters a moment to come up to power before the important part. Agencies later built their own lists, so beyond the common few, the same code can mean different things in different places.

Meanings vary by agency and region beyond 10-4 and 10-20. Jokey ones like 10-100 for a restroom break are movie and CB humor, not a standard.

Public safety has been moving the other way. Federal guidance from SAFECOM encourages plain language when agencies work together, because one agency's 10-code is another's nonsense (CISA/SAFECOM Plain Language Guide). For a family or a trail group, that's good advice too: "we're at the waterfall" beats a code someone has to remember.

CB slang you'll hear on channel 19

CB has its own vocabulary, much of it from 1970s truckers. These definitions follow Wikipedia's CB slang list.

The channels themselves are in our CB channel chart. Channel 9 is the exception to the banter: by FCC rule it's for emergencies and traveler assistance only.

The phonetic alphabet

For spelling names and call signs, use the ITU phonetic alphabet, as printed on the ARRL's operating chart: Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu. Many operators say "niner" for 9 so it isn't mistaken for "five." Ham operators are encouraged to use phonetics when identifying (97.119).

Are codes legal on your radio?

Hams mostly skip 10-codes and use Q-codes like QTH (location) and QSL (received). Our ham radio Q-codes list covers those. GMRS users also have to say their call sign at the end of a conversation and every 15 minutes, which no code replaces.

A five-word cheat sheet for kids

For a family radio, skip the 10-codes. Teach five words and one rule:

1. "Dad, this is Ella" to start: who you want, then who you are.
2. "Over" when you want an answer.
3. "Copy" when you heard.
4. "Say again" when you didn't.
5. "Out" when you're done.

The rule: if you're hurt or lost, hold the button, say "help," your name and what you can see, then let go and listen. Write it on a card in the radio pouch, alongside your channel. Our family emergency radio plan builds this into a full plan, and a waterproof card like this GMRS, FRS and MURS reference card keeps channel info with the radio.

What a good exchange sounds like

Rules checked October 13, 2026 in eCFR 47 CFR Parts 95 and 97: 95.1733 · 95.333 · 97.113. History and slang: Wikipedia's Ten-code and CB slang articles; SAFECOM Plain Language Guide. How we research · Affiliate disclosure