NATO Phonetic Alphabet Translator (Alfa Bravo Charlie)

What the NATO phonetic alphabet is

On a bad phone line, “B”, “D”, “P” and “T” sound alike, and so do “M” and “N”. The NATO phonetic alphabet solves this by giving every letter a distinct word. You say “Bravo” for B and “Delta” for D, and nobody has to guess.

It was adopted in 1956 after testing with speakers of many languages, and it is also known as the ICAO spelling alphabet or the international radiotelephony alphabet. Strictly speaking it is a spelling alphabet, since it has nothing to do with phonetic symbols, but “phonetic alphabet” is the name most people use.

How to use the translator

Type a name, postcode, email address or reference number in the left box.
Read the code words from the right box. Each word you typed gets its own line.
Press Copy if you want to paste the spelling into a note or script.

To go the other way, type code words in the right box and the letters appear on the left.

The full alphabet

Letter	Word	Letter	Word
A	Alfa	N	November
B	Bravo	O	Oscar
C	Charlie	P	Papa
D	Delta	Q	Quebec
E	Echo	R	Romeo
F	Foxtrot	S	Sierra
G	Golf	T	Tango
H	Hotel	U	Uniform
I	India	V	Victor
J	Juliett	W	Whiskey
K	Kilo	X	X-ray
L	Lima	Y	Yankee
M	Mike	Z	Zulu

How to say it

A few words are often mispronounced. Quebec is “keh-BECK”, not “kwuh-BECK”. Lima is “LEE-mah”. Papa has the stress on the second syllable: “pah-PAH”. Golf, Hotel and Mike are said as normal English words.

When to use it

Giving your name or email over the phone, especially unusual spellings
Reading out booking references, order numbers and number plates
Postcodes: “B7 4QX” becomes Bravo Seven, Four Quebec X-ray
Passwords and serial numbers in IT support calls
Radio communication in flying, sailing, hiking groups and events

Tips for clear spelling

Say the whole word first, then spell it: “Smith. Sierra, Mike, India, Tango, Hotel.”
Pause briefly between code words.
For double letters, say the code word twice. Do not say “double”.
Say numbers one digit at a time: “four seven”, not “forty-seven”.
If you forget a word, any clear word starting with that letter is better than nothing, but the standard words are understood fastest.

Need dots and dashes instead? Use the Morse code translator, which can also play the code as sound.

NATO Phonetic Alphabet Translator: questions and answers

What is the NATO phonetic alphabet?

It is a set of 26 code words, one for each letter, used to spell things out clearly by voice: Alfa for A, Bravo for B, Charlie for C and so on. It is used in aviation, shipping, the military, emergency services and call centres around the world.

How do I spell my name in the phonetic alphabet?

Type your name in the left box. The translator shows a code word for each letter. For example, Smith is Sierra Mike India Tango Hotel. Read the words out one at a time.

Why is it spelled Alfa and Juliett?

The official spellings are Alfa and Juliett, not Alpha and Juliet. They were chosen so that speakers of other languages would pronounce them correctly. Some would read 'ph' as a 'p' sound, and French speakers might treat a single final 't' as silent. The translator accepts both spellings when decoding.

How are numbers said?

Digits are said one at a time: Zero, One, Two, Three and so on. In aviation and military radio, some are pronounced in a special way to avoid confusion, such as 'Tree' for three, 'Fife' for five and 'Niner' for nine.

Is this the same as the police alphabet?

Not always. Many police forces use the NATO alphabet, but some in the United States use an older set with words such as Adam, Boy and Charles. The NATO alphabet is the international standard and the safer choice if you are unsure.