NATO Phonetic Alphabet Reference
The NATO phonetic alphabet (formally the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet) assigns a standard word to each letter of the alphabet. It is used worldwide in aviation, military communications, emergency services, and any context where clarity in voice communication is critical.
Source: ICAO Annex 10 and NATO STANAG 6001. This alphabet is public domain and used internationally.
| Letter | Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A | Alpha | AL-fah |
| 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-tel |
| I | India | IN-dee-ah |
| J | Juliet | JEW-lee-ett |
| K | Kilo | KEY-loh |
| L | Lima | LEE-mah |
| M | Mike | MIKE |
| N | November | no-VEM-ber |
| O | Oscar | OSS-kah |
| 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 |
Letters can sound similar over radio or telephone (B and D, M and N, F and S). By replacing each letter with a distinct word, the NATO phonetic alphabet eliminates ambiguity. "Bravo" cannot be confused with "Delta" even in poor audio conditions, whereas "B" and "D" easily can.
It is mandated for use in international civil aviation (ICAO), maritime communications (IMO), military operations (NATO), and is widely adopted by emergency services (police, fire, paramedics) in many countries. Businesses also use it for spelling out codes and serial numbers over the phone.
Yes - the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) phonetic alphabet and the NATO phonetic alphabet are identical. Both organisations adopted the same standard, which was developed collaboratively to ensure safe international communications.
To spell a word, say each letter using its code word. For example, to spell "cat" you would say "Charlie Alpha Tango". For a callsign like N12AB you would say "November One Two Alpha Bravo".