Military Phonetic Alphabet
The military phonetic alphabet gives every letter a code word so it survives static: A is Alfa, B is Bravo, and Z is Zulu.
| Letter | Code word | Say it | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Alfa | AL-FAH | NATO spelling. U.S. classrooms often print Alpha. |
| B | Bravo | BRAH-VOH | |
| C | Charlie | CHAR-LEE | |
| D | Delta | DELL-TAH | |
| E | Echo | ECK-OH | |
| F | Foxtrot | FOKS-TROT | |
| G | Golf | GOLF | |
| H | Hotel | HOH-TELL | |
| I | India | IN-DEE-AH | |
| J | Juliett | JEW-LEE-ETT | Two t's. The everyday spelling Juliet is the same word. |
| K | Kilo | KEY-LOH | |
| L | Lima | LEE-MAH | LEE-MAH, not the English city name. |
| M | Mike | MIKE | |
| N | November | NO-VEM-BER | |
| O | Oscar | OSS-CAH | |
| P | Papa | PAH-PAH | |
| Q | Quebec | KEH-BECK | |
| R | Romeo | ROW-ME-OH | |
| S | Sierra | SEE-AIR-RAH | |
| T | Tango | TANG-GO | |
| U | Uniform | YOU-NEE-FORM | |
| V | Victor | VIK-TAH | |
| W | Whiskey | WISS-KEY | |
| X | X-ray | ECKS-RAY | |
| Y | Yankee | YANG-KEY | |
| Z | Zulu | ZOO-LOO |
Numbers
Digits get their own radio pronunciation so five and nine do not trade places.
| Digit | Word | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Zero | ZE-RO |
| 1 | One | WUN |
| 2 | Two | TOO |
| 3 | Three | TREE |
| 4 | Four | FOW-ER |
| 5 | Five | FIFE |
| 6 | Six | SIX |
| 7 | Seven | SEV-EN |
| 8 | Eight | AIT |
| 9 | Nine | NIN-ER |
How to use the table
Spell in order, one code word per letter, then stop. For a call sign or a grid you already know, speak the word once and spell only the part the other station missed. A decimal point is “decimal.” A hyphen on many nets is “dash.”
This is the NATO alphabet used by the U.S. military. Alfa and Juliett are the NATO spellings. Alpha and Juliet are the same two words in everyday English, and you will see both on older cards.
The alphabet names letters. It does not set the clock. Times on the same radio net are still written on the 24 hour clock.
Keep going
Questions
What is the military phonetic alphabet?
It is a set of code words, one for each letter, so A through Z stay distinct on a radio or a phone. A is Alfa and Z is Zulu.
Is the military phonetic alphabet the same as the NATO alphabet?
Yes. The U.S. military uses the NATO phonetic alphabet. NATO prints A as Alfa and J as Juliett.
Why do some lists say Alpha and Juliet?
Those are the everyday English spellings. NATO prints Alfa and Juliett so the words are not misread in French.
How do you say the numbers?
Say zero, one as wun, two as too, three as tree, four as fower, five as fife, six, seven, eight as ait, and nine as niner.
How do you spell a word?
Say the code word for each letter in order. NAVY is November, Alfa, Victor, Yankee.
What do you say for a decimal point?
Say decimal. Many nets say dash for a hyphen.
Do pilots use this alphabet?
Yes. Pilots use this NATO alphabet. Many police and fire departments use it too, and some local lists still differ on a letter.