Safe-words (also spelled as safeword or safe word) are words that are used by the submissive partner to indicate distress. Usually the use of a safe-word means that the dominant partner stops whatever he’s doing. Some couples prefer having multiple safe-words to indicate varying levels of distress, i.e. one to slow down, one to stop completely, one to indicate that all is well and to continue.
A good safe-word is a word that is easy to pronounce and usually does not come up in a scene. Words like “Stop” or “No” do not make good safe-words since they can also be used in simulated struggle. Some common safe-words include “mother” and “red”.
These are likely to be recognized as safe-words by any practitioner of kink:
If the scene contains elements that would make speech difficult (such as a gag), some couples use a non-verbal signal, such as a hand gesture, or a token that is held when all is well, and dropped to signal a stop.
The dominant partner may check in to see whether to proceed with the scene. If the submissive partner does not respond with a signal of affirmation, the dominant partner can end the scene and begin aftercare.