NATO and police phonetic alphabets compared
Many US police and emergency services use the older APCO alphabet instead of NATO. Radio amateurs, pilots and the military use NATO.
| Letter | NATO | US police (APCO) |
|---|---|---|
| A | Alfa | Adam |
| B | Bravo | Boy |
| C | Charlie | Charles |
| D | Delta | David |
| E | Echo | Edward |
| F | Foxtrot | Frank |
| G | Golf | George |
| H | Hotel | Henry |
| I | India | Ida |
| J | Juliett | John |
| K | Kilo | King |
| L | Lima | Lincoln |
| M | Mike | Mary |
| N | November | Nora |
| O | Oscar | Ocean |
| P | Papa | Paul |
| Q | Quebec | Queen |
| R | Romeo | Robert |
| S | Sierra | Sam |
| T | Tango | Tom |
| U | Uniform | Union |
| V | Victor | Victor |
| W | Whiskey | William |
| X | X-ray | X-ray |
| Y | Yankee | Young |
| Z | Zulu | Zebra |
Why radio amateurs use it
Letters like B, D, E, G, P, T and V sound almost identical over a noisy radio link. The phonetic alphabet gives each letter a distinct word, chosen so it's clear in English, French and Spanish and hard to confuse with any other. It was agreed by the International Civil Aviation Organization in the 1950s and is now used by aviation, the military, the emergency services and the ITU, which is why radio amateurs use the same words worldwide.
Alfa and Juliett are spelled that way on purpose. Speakers of some languages might not know that "ph" in Alpha sounds like "f", or might read Juliet with a silent T.
Numbers
The ITU and aviation say some numbers differently so they don't get confused: "tree" for three, "fife" for five and "niner" for nine. Most radio amateurs simply say numbers normally, but "niner" is common on noisy HF, because "nine" can sound like the German "nein".
Good habits on air
- Use the standard words. Made-up phonetics like "King" or "Japan" are fun among friends, but standard words are recognised everywhere, especially by operators whose first language isn't English.
- Spell your callsign in full when calling, in pile-ups and when conditions are poor, then just say it normally once a contact is established.
- Say it at a steady pace. Clear and even beats fast.
Questions
How do you say M0 in the phonetic alphabet?
Mike Zero. UK callsigns often start with M or G, so you'll hear a lot of Mike and Golf. Foundation callsigns start M7, M6 or M3. Intermediate ones start M8 or M9, or with a 2 for older calls, such as Two Echo Zero.
What is the NATO phonetic alphabet?
The spelling alphabet used worldwide by pilots, the military, emergency services and radio amateurs: Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and so on, one word for each letter.
What is the police phonetic alphabet?
Many US police forces use the APCO alphabet: Adam, Boy, Charles, David and so on. The table on this page compares it with NATO.
Is it Alpha or Alfa?
The official spelling is Alfa, so people who don't speak English pronounce the F sound correctly. Both are said the same way.
Why do pilots say niner?
So that nine isn't mistaken for five, or for the German word nein. Many radio amateurs say niner too, especially on HF.
Do I have to use phonetics?
It's good practice, and in the UK your licence requires you to identify clearly. Phonetics are the clearest way to give your callsign, especially on HF or when signals are weak.