How to use the NATO alphabet chart
- Read down the chart, or type a letter or code word into the filter box. The usual spellings Alpha and Juliet find Alfa and Juliett, and a whole word, like your name, lists its letters in order.
- Use Letters or Numbers to show one part. The Say it column gives the spoken form with the stressed syllable in bold, and the speaker button reads the word aloud.
- Click a code word to copy it.
Why Alfa and Juliett are spelled that way
The alphabet had to work for people who don’t speak English as a first language, so two words have unusual spellings. Alfa is written with an f because “ph” isn’t read as an f sound in every language. Juliett has a double t because a French speaker would leave the final t of “Juliet” silent. Both are said just like the familiar words. The spellings only matter when you write the alphabet down.
Numbers: tree, fife and niner
| Digit | Say it |
|---|---|
| 3 | tree |
| 4 | fow-er |
| 5 | fife |
| 9 | nin-er |
These forms help numbers stay distinct over a noisy radio. You’ll hear them from pilots and air traffic controllers. The other digits are said normally, with 0 as zero.
Where it’s used
Aviation radio, ships, the military, emergency services and amateur radio operators all use this alphabet. It is just as useful off the radio: spelling a surname, a booking reference or a serial number to a call center, where letters like B, D, P and V are easy to confuse.
To spell out a whole name or code automatically, use the NATO alphabet translator.