A: Alfa
spoken as AL FAH
ALFA · BRAVO · CHARLIE
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loud and clear.
The phonetic alphabet from Alfa to Zulu, the radio way to say numbers, and the story of how one alphabet came to be shared by pilots, sailors and radio users. Every code word, guide and fact is copied from the official sources and linked so you can check it.
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Type a name, a postcode, a call sign or anything else. Each letter becomes its code word, with the official “spoken as” guide underneath.
Letters A to Z and digits 0 to 9 are converted. Spaces start a new word. Up to 300 characters.
“Read aloud” appears only if your browser can speak. It uses your device’s own voice, which won’t sound exactly like the official guides. In aviation mode a point between digits is said DAY SEE MAL; in ITU mode it is Decimal, and any other full stop is Stop. Other symbols are skipped and listed.
THE ALPHABETAlfa to Zulu,
Alfa to Zulu,
A to Z.
The alphabet is set out in Appendix 14 of the ITU Radio Regulations, “Phonetic alphabet and figure code”, which says the table shall be used when it is necessary to spell out call signs, service abbreviations and words. ITU Radio Regulations, Appendix 14 ↗
B: Bravo
spoken as BRAH VOH
C: Charlie
spoken as CHAR LEE or SHAR LEE
D: Delta
spoken as DELL TAH
E: Echo
spoken as ECK OH
F: Foxtrot
spoken as FOKS TROT
G: Golf
spoken as GOLF
H: Hotel
spoken as HOH TELL
I: India
spoken as IN DEE AH
J: Juliett
spoken as JEW LEE ETT
K: Kilo
spoken as KEY LOH
L: Lima
spoken as LEE MAH
M: Mike
spoken as MIKE
N: November
spoken as NO VEM BER
O: Oscar
spoken as OSS CAH
P: Papa
spoken as PAH PAH
Q: Quebec
spoken as KEH BECK
R: Romeo
spoken as ROW ME OH
S: Sierra
spoken as SEE AIR RAH
T: Tango
spoken as TANG GO
U: Uniform
spoken as YOU NEE FORM or OO NEE FORM
V: Victor
spoken as VIK TAH
W: Whiskey
spoken as WISS KEY
X: X-ray
spoken as ECKS RAY
Y: Yankee
spoken as YANG KEY
Z: Zulu
spoken as ZOO LOO
The code words are spelt Alfa and Juliett in the ITU table, the FAA’s ICAO table and NATO’s own page. ITU Radio Regulations, Appendix 14 ↗ CAP 413’s own table writes A as “Alpha”, while giving the same pronunciation, AL FAH. UK CAA, CAP 413 ↗
In the official letter table, the syllables to stress are underlined; this site can’t show that underlining, so check the source for stress. ITU Radio Regulations, Appendix 14 ↗
The same appendix says stations of the same country, when talking among themselves, may use any other table recognised by their administration. ITU Radio Regulations, Appendix 14 ↗
NUMBERSWUN, TOO, TREE:
WUN, TOO, TREE:
numbers on the radio.
Numbers have their own radio pronunciations too. The US FAA tells its flight service staff to use the ICAO pronunciation of numbers and, as necessary, individual letters for clarity. FAA, JO 7110.10 ↗
| Digit | Word | Said (UK CAA, CAP 413) | FAA guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Zero | ZERO | ZE-RO |
| 1 | One | WUN | WUN |
| 2 | Two | TOO | TOO |
| 3 | Three | TREE | TREE |
| 4 | Four | FOWER | FOW -ER |
| 5 | Five | FIFE | FIFE |
| 6 | Six | SIX | SIX |
| 7 | Seven | SEVEN | SEV -EN |
| 8 | Eight | AIT | AIT |
| 9 | Nine | NINER | NIN -ER |
Decimal, hundred and thousand
The UK CAA’s CAP 413 says callsigns, headings, wind speeds, frequencies and most flight levels are said digit by digit, while whole hundreds and thousands in altitudes, heights and visibility use HUNDRED or TOUSAND. UK CAA, CAP 413 ↗
| Number | What it is | Said as |
|---|---|---|
| FL180 | Flight level | FLIGHT LEVEL WUN AIT ZERO |
| FL100 | Flight level | FLIGHT LEVEL WUN HUN DRED |
| 150 degrees | Heading | WUN FIFE ZERO DEGREES |
| 2 500 | Altitude or height | TOO TOUSAND FIFE HUNDRED |
| 11 000 | Altitude or height | WUN WUN TOUSAND |
| 122.500 | Frequency | WUN TOO TOO DAY SEE MAL FIFE |
| 118.125 | Frequency | WUN WUN AIT DAY SEE MAL WUN TOO FIFE |
The ITU figure code
For figures, Appendix 14 gives a separate figure code, from Nadazero (0) to Novenine (9), and says each syllable should be equally emphasised. ITU Radio Regulations, Appendix 14 ↗
| Figure | Code word | Spoken as |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Nadazero | NAH-DAH-ZAY-ROH |
| 1 | Unaone | OO-NAH-WUN |
| 2 | Bissotwo | BEES-SOH-TOO |
| 3 | Terrathree | TAY-RAH-TREE |
| 4 | Kartefour | KAR-TAY-FOWER |
| 5 | Pantafive | PAN-TAH-FIVE |
| 6 | Soxisix | SOK-SEE-SIX |
| 7 | Setteseven | SAY-TAY-SEVEN |
| 8 | Oktoeight | OK-TOH-AIT |
| 9 | Novenine | NO-VAY-NINER |
| Decimal point | Decimal | DAY-SEE-MAL |
| Full stop | Stop | STOP |
Numbers at sea
At sea, the IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases (adopted 29 November 2001) say that when spelling is necessary, only their spelling table should be used. IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases ↗ The IMO table spells J as “Juliet”, with one t, and gives zero as ZEERO. IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases ↗
| Number | Word | Spoken as |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | zero | ZEERO |
| 1 | one | WUN |
| 2 | two | TOO |
| 3 | three | TREE |
| 4 | four | FOWER |
| 5 | five | FIFE |
| 6 | six | SIX |
| 7 | seven | SEVEN |
| 8 | eight | AIT |
| 9 | nine | NINER |
| 1000 | thousand | TOUSAND |
KEEP GOINGPractise it,
Practise it,
then dig deeper.
01 · PRACTICE
Flashcards, quiz and type-it
Flip through all 26 cards, take a 10-question quiz, or type the code word for each letter.
Start practising → 02 · HISTORYFrom Amsterdam to Alfa
The ITU city alphabets, the RAF alphabet of 1921–42, Able Baker, IATA 1951 and the 1956 alphabet.
Read the history → 03 · FACTSAviation, military, maritime and radio
Who uses the alphabet, and what the rule books actually say.
See the facts → 04 · SOURCESWhere it all comes from
The ITU, NATO, the UK CAA, the FAA, the IMO and the University of York.
See all sources → PRINTABLES · SUPPORT
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phonetics.languages.im is free, with no adverts. Our phonetic alphabet printables (posters, flashcards, worksheets, puzzles and quizzes in A4 and US Letter) help keep it going, and there’s a free sample to try first. Every code word in them comes from the same sources as this site.