Letters
AAlfa
AL-fahBBravo
BRAH-vohCCharlie
CHAR-leeDDelta
DELL-tahEEcho
ECK-ohFFoxtrot
FOKS-trotGGolf
GOLFHHotel
hoh-TELLIIndia
IN-dee-ahJJuliett
JEW-lee-ettKKilo
KEY-lohLLima
LEE-mahMMike
MIKENNovember
no-VEM-berOOscar
OSS-cahPPapa
pah-PAHQQuebec
keh-BECKRRomeo
ROW-me-ohSSierra
see-AIR-ahTTango
TANG-ohUUniform
YOU-nee-formVVictor
VIK-tahWWhiskey
WISS-keyXX-ray
ECKS-rayYYankee
YANG-keyZZulu
ZOO-looNumbers
0Zero
ZEE-roh1One
WUN2Two
TOO3Three
TREE4Four
FOW-er5Five
FIFE6Six
SIX7Seven
SEV-en8Eight
AIT9Nine
NIN-erSpecial words and punctuation
- Decimal → "DAY-see-mahl"
- Hundred → "HUN-dred"
- Thousand → "TOU-SAND"
- Point / Dot → "Point" (not standard ICAO — airspace-specific)
Why pilots use the phonetic alphabet
Aviation communication depends on every spoken character being unambiguous. 'B' and 'D' sound identical over a scratchy radio; 'Bravo' and 'Delta' do not. The ICAO phonetic alphabet (also called the NATO alphabet) solves that problem.
The same goes for digits — 'fife' and 'niner' are used instead of 'five' and 'nine' because the standard pronunciations carry better over radio static. 'Tree' replaces 'three' for the same reason.
Memorize it early. Every radio call, every tail number, every waypoint identifier will use it.
Cite this
PermalinkAeroCopilot — ICAO Phonetic Alphabet. https://www.aerocopilot.ai/tools/icao-phonetic-alphabet.