Military alphabet chart: A to Z
Code word, pronunciation and Morse code as the FAA's Aeronautical Information Manual prints them (paragraph 4-2-7).
| Letter | Code word | Say it | Morse |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Alfa | AL-FAH | • – |
| B | Bravo | BRAH-VOH | – • • • |
| C | Charlie | CHAR-LEE or SHAR-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 | Juliett | JEW-LEE-ETT | • – – – |
| K | Kilo | KEY-LOH | – • – |
| L | Lima | LEE-MAH | • – • • |
| M | Mike | MIKE | – – |
| Letter | Code word | Say it | Morse |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 or OO-NEE-FORM | • • – |
| V | Victor | VIK-TAH | • • • – |
| W | Whiskey | WISS-KEY | • – – |
| X | Xray | ECKS-RAY | – • • – |
| Y | Yankee | YANG-KEY | – • – – |
| Z | Zulu | ZOO-LOO | – – • • |
The FAA table prints the code word for X as "Xray"; NATO's page prints "X-ray". Alfa and Juliett are the official spellings in both.
Numbers in the military alphabet
Each digit has its own pronunciation in the same table.
| Digit | Word | Say it | Morse |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | – – – – • |
| 0 | Zero | ZEE-RO | – – – – – |
When it is used
The FAA's manual says the alphabet is used "when communications conditions are such that the information cannot be readily received without their use," and tells pilots to "use the phonetic equivalents for single letters and to spell out groups of letters or difficult words during adverse communications conditions." The same code words spell grid coordinates, call signs, names and serial numbers on military radio nets and over the phone.
Zulu, the last code word, also names a time: the same manual says "the term "Zulu" may be used to denote UTC." The military time converter covers the 24-hour clock.
Where it came from
NATO's own page says the NATO phonetic alphabet "was established in 1956 and just a few years later became the established universal phonetic alphabet." Before it, in NATO's words, "the United States adopted a Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet, called the "Able Baker" alphabet after the first two code words, across all of its military branches in 1941."
- 1941: Joint Army/Navy "Able Baker" alphabet
- Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog, Easy, Fox, George, How, Item, Jig, King, Love, Mike, Nan, Oboe, Peter, Queen, Roger, Sugar, Tare, Uncle, Victor, William, X-ray, Yoke, Zebra
- 1951: International Air Transport Association alphabet (civil aviation only)
- Alfa, Bravo, Coca, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Gold, Hotel, India, Juliett, Kilo, Lima, Metro, Nectar, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Union, Victor, Whiskey, eXtra, Yankee, Zulu