What Does SOS Stand For? It's Probably Not What You Think

You've likely heard it hundreds of times over the years: SOS is the international call for help. While this is well-known, what isn't as understood is what the letters mean and why they're used internationally. You may have heard that SOS stands for "Save Our Ship" or possibly "Save Our Souls," but neither is correct. In actuality, SOS is meaningless, and the letters don't break out into anything other than what they are. That said, there's a reason those letters are used, which ultimately makes a lot of sense.

Most simply, SOS is the standard Morse code distress signal, which reads like this: ". . . – - – . . ." As such, the three dots represent the letter "S," while the dashes represent the letter "O." It was initially established for maritime use, but has since been used in all manner of scenarios, as most people in the West understand that calling out for help in any situation can be done by writing out, saying, or otherwise getting across "SOS" to would-be rescuers.

The use of SOS arose in the early 20th century as the world's countries agreed radio should be used to announce distress for maritime operations. The Marconi International Marine Communications Company opted for CQD, which is fitting that a company named after world famous engineer, Guglielmo Marconi, had something to say about radio signals since he's credited as being among the first to discover their use. Finally, in 1908, it was internationally agreed that "Ships in distress shall use the following signal: . . . – - – . . . repeated at brief intervals," establishing SOS as the maritime standard when calling for distress.

With the adoption of SOS, the world moved on, but for those unfamiliar with Morse code, it didn't mean much. The U.S. Navy was happy to use NC, meaning "call for help without delay," while others, like the German Navy, used SOE. CQD was effective enough, but in Morse code, it reads as: -.-. / – - . – / – . ., which is more complex. Still, it was used, as was SOS when the supposedly indestructible RMS Titanic sank, and after that disaster, the U.S. and other nations adopted SOS.

SOS was chosen largely due to the ease with which it can be transmitted, but the individual letters bore no meaning. The terms "Save Our Ships" and "Save Our Souls" came later, primarily outside of maritime operations. If you look at your cell phone, whether it's an Android or iPhone, you likely have an SOS call option that can be used to contact someone in case of an emergency. Essentially, while SOS initially had no meaning outside of its speedily sent message, it's now a widely used call for help.

The first time SOS was used came in August 1909, a little more than a year after it was adopted. The SOS came when the S.S. Arapahoe sent it after the vessel was disabled off the coast of North Carolina. It took some time, but eventually, even the Marconi Company dropped its use of CQD in favor of SOS. The Marconi operators aboard the Titanic initially sent CQD but later switched to SOS, and it's been the distress signal used in and outside maritime operations ever since.