Module 3 - Phonetic Alphabet & Prowords
Prowords That Prevent Ambiguity
What you will learn
Match a communication problem to the procedure word that tells the other station what happens next.
The value of a procedure word is the action it triggers. Choose it from the communication problem—reply, finish, repeat, wait or correct—not from habit.
Over and Out manage turn-taking. Say Again manages a reception failure. Stand By manages a short delay while information is obtained. Mistake and Correction repair your own message. These jobs are related, but they are not interchangeable.
The MCA examples show Over at the end of calls that invite a response and Out at the end of an all-stations urgency announcement before moving to the nominated working channel. The word must fit the real procedure and the next expected action.
A procedure word cannot make uncertain information true. If a position, time or instruction remains unclear, repeat or verify the detail. Do not use Received as a blanket substitute for a full response where an instruction or advice needs an explicit will, can, will not or cannot answer.
| Situation | Use | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| A reply is expected | Over | Release PTT and listen |
| The exchange is finished | Out | No reply is expected |
| The message was not properly heard | Say Again | The requested message or part is repeated |
| Information is not ready | Stand By + time interval | Return within the stated interval |
| You made a spoken error | Mistake; Correction | Give the corrected part clearly |
Choose from the problem, not from a memorised script
You hear the start of a berth instruction but miss the berth number; the harbour station is waiting for your response.
1. Name the failure
The message was not properly heard; this is not an error in your own transmission.
2. Request the missing part
Ask Say Again berth number so the station repeats the critical group rather than the whole exchange.
3. Respond to the verified instruction
Only after hearing the number clearly should you give the appropriate full response.
Sense check: Correction would be wrong here because the other station's message was unheard; you did not make the spoken error.
Common mistake or limitation
- Using Correction to ask another station to repeat something you failed to hear.
- Ending every transmission with Over regardless of whether a response is expected.
- Treating a brief acknowledgement as proof that a critical instruction was understood or accepted.
Recap
- Choose the phrase from the communication problem.
- Over, Out, Say Again, Stand By and Correction lead to different next actions.
- Request the specific missing group when possible.
- Verification is still required for critical information.
Optional quick check
Section 6 of 7
You did not hear the channel number in another station's message. Which request fits?
Sources and factual review
Reviewed 20 August 2026 - Compass Revision editorial review.
Continue studying Phonetic Alphabet & Prowords
This public lesson is part of Revision Module 3. Full revision access adds the guided Learn, Practise and Test flow, flashcards and revision progress.