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Articles. Phonetic alphabets

Military and international phonetic alphabets

1932: The first internationally recognized alphabet was adopted by the ITU in 1927. The experience gained with that alphabet resulted in several changes being made in 1932 by the ITU. The resulting alphabet was adopted by the International Commission for Air Navigation, the predecessor of the ICAO, and was used in civil aviation until World War II. It continued to be used by the IMO until 1965

1941: The Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet was developed in 1941 and was used by all branches of the United States military until the promulgation of the NATO phonetic alphabet in 1956, which replaced it. Before the JAN phonetic alphabet, each branch of the armed forces used its own phonetic alphabet, leading to difficulties in interbranch communication.

1951: Several RAF phonetic alphabets were also used. After the war, with many aircraft and ground personnel drawn from the allied armed forces, "Able Baker" continued to be used in civil aviation. But many sounds were unique to English, so an alternative "Ana Brazil" alphabet was used in Latin America. But the International Air Transport Association (IATA), recognizing the need for a single universal alphabet, presented a draft alphabet to the ICAO in 1947 which had sounds common to English, French, and Spanish. After further study and modification by each approving body, the revised alphabet was implemented November 1, 1951.

1956: The final version was implemented by the ICAO on March 1, 1956, and was undoubtedly adopted shortly thereafter by the ITU, because it appears in the 1959 Radio Regulations as an established phonetic alphabet. Because the ITU governs all international radio communications, it was also adopted by all radio operators, whether military, civilian, or amateur (ARRL). It was finally adopted by the IMO in 1965. In 1947 the ITU adopted the compound number words (Nadazero Unaone) later adopted by the IMO in 1965.


Character A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9	ITU [1932] Amsterdam Baltimore Casablanca Denmark Edison Florida Gallipoli Havana Italia Jerusalem Kilogramme Liverpool Madagascar New York Oslo Paris Quebec Roma Santiago Tripoli Upsala Valencia Washington Xanthippe Yokohama Zurich	JAN [1941] Able Baker Charlie Dog Easy Fox George How Item Jig King Love Mike Nan Oboe Peter Queen Roger Sugar Tare Uncle Victor William X-ray Yoke Zebra Zero One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Niner	IATA [1951] Alfa Bravo Coca Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf Hotel India Juliett Kilo Lima Metro Nectar Oscar Papa Quebec Romeo Sierra Tango Union Victor Whisky Extra Yankee Zulu	NATO [1956] Alpha (Alfa) Bravo Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf Hotel India Juliet (Juliett) Kilo Lima Mike November Oscar Papa Quebec Romeo Sierra Tango Uniform Victor Whiskey X-ray Yankee Zulu Zero (Nadazero) One (Unaone) Two (Bissotwo) Three (Terrathree) Four (Kartefour) Five (Pantafive) Six (Soxisix) Seven (Setteseven) Eight (Oktoeight) Nine (Novenine)	Morse code . - - . . . - . - . - . . . . . - . - - . . . . . . . . - - - - . - . - . . - - - . - - - . - - . - - . - . - . . . . - . . - . . . - . - - - . . - - . - - - - . . - - - - - . - - - - . . - - - . . . - - . . . . - . . . . . - . . . . - - . . . - - - . . - - - - .

Alpha, Bravo, Charlie pronunciation

AL-fah BRAH-voh CHAR-lee DELL-tah ECK-oh FOKS-trot GOLF hoh-TELL IN-dee-ah
JEW-lee-ETT KEY-loh LEE-mah MIKE no-VEM-ber OSS-cah pah-PAH keh-BECK ROW-me-oh
see-AIR-rah TANG-go YOU-nee-form VIK-tah WISS-key ECKS-ray YANG-key ZOO-loo
ZE-ro WUN TOO TREE FOW-er FIFE SIX SEV-en AIT NIN-er

Additional phonetic alphabets

British phonetic alphabet, perhaps Post Office approved [1914]
Apple Brother Charlie Dover Eastern Father George Harry India
Jack King London Mother November October Peter Queen Robert
Sugar Thomas Uncle Victoria Wednesday Xmas Yellow Zebra

Royal Navy phonetic alphabet [1917]
Apples Butter Charlie Duff Edward Freddy George Harry Ink
Johnnie King London Monkey Nuts Orange Pudding Queenie Robert
Sugar Tommy Uncle Vinegar Willie Xerxes Yellow Zebra

British Army phonetic alphabet [1927]
Ack Beer Charlie Don Edward Freddy George Harry Ink
Johnnie King London Monkey Nuts Orange Pip Queen Robert
Sugar Toc Uncle Vic William X-ray Yorker Zebra

U.S. Army phonetic alphabet [1916]
Able Buy Cast Dock Easy Fox George Have Item
Jig King Love Mike Nap Opal Pup Quack Rush
Sail Tape Unit Vice Watch X-ray Yoke Zed

U.S. Navy phonetic alphabet [1940]
Affirmative Baker Cast Dog Easy Fox George Hypo Interrogatory
Jig King Love Mike Negative Option Preparatory Queen Roger
Sail Tare Unit Victor William Xray Yoke Zed

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