| ((f)) | Weak N III 4634-40-42 emission, strong He II 4686 absorption |
| (f) | Medium N III 4634-40-42 emission, neutral or weak He II 4686 absorption |
| f | Strong N III 4634-40-42 emission, He II 4686 emission above continuum |
| ((f*)) | N IV 4058 emission >= N III 4640 emission, strong He II 4686 absorption (O2-3) |
| (f*) | N IV 4058 emission >= N III 4640 emission, weaker He II 4686 absorption (O2-3.5) |
| f* | N IV 4058 emission >= N III 4640 emission, He II 4686 emission (O2-3.5) |
| ((fc)) | As ((f)) plus C III 4647-50-51 emission equal to N III 4634 |
| (fc) | As (f) plus C III 4647-50-51 emission equal to N III 4634 |
| fc | As f plus C III 4647-50-51 emission equal to N III 4634 |
| f?p | Variable C III 4647-50-51 emission >= N III 4634-40-42 at maximum; variable |
| sharp absorption, emission, and/or P Cygni features at H and He I lines | |
| ((f+)) | As ((f)) plus Si IV 4089-4116 emission (O4-8, obsolete) |
| (f+) | As (f) plus Si IV 4089-4116 emission (O4-8, obsolete) |
| f+ | As f plus Si IV 4089-4116 emission (O4-8, obsolete) |
| (e) | Probable H alpha emission but no red spectrogram available |
| e | Emission components in H lines |
| pe | As e with emission components in He I and/or continuum veiling |
| [e] | Emission spectrum including Fe forbidden lines |
| e+ | Fe II and H emission lines (subcategories in Lesh 1968) |
| ((n)) | Broadened lines (not applied in GOSSS, marginal) |
| (n) | More broadened lines (v sini ~ 200 km/s) |
| n | Even more broadened lines (v sin i ~ 300 km/s) |
| nn | Yet even more broadened lines (v sin i ~ 400 km/s) |
| [n] | H lines more broadened than He lines |
| nfp | He II centrally reversed emission, broadened absorption lines (Conti Oef) |
| N | N absorption enhanced, C and O deficient |
| Nstr | Moderate case of above (e.g. N III 4640 enhanced but not > C III 4650) |
| C | C absorption enhanced, N deficient |
| Nwk | Moderate case of above |
| var | Variation in line spectrum intensities or content |
| p | Peculiar spectrum |
| z | He II 4686 in absorption and > than both He I 4471 and He II 4542 |