| The military alphabet, or more properly the phonetic alphabet, exists in innumerable variants.
If any one variant can be viewed as “most correct”, it is the current NATO standard military alphabet. However, even in that standard for the military alphabet, numerous spelling variations are known to exist. This version of the military alphabet is also known as the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) code.
Variations of the Alphabet
This chart shows the NATO standard military alphabet along with a military alphabet used by the U.S. Navy before 1954, the military alphabet used by the U.S. Army in 1916, and the commercial Western Union phonetic alphabet.
| A |
Alpha |
Able |
Able |
Adams |
| B |
Bravo |
Baker |
Buy |
Boston |
| C |
Charlie |
Charlie |
Cast |
Chicago |
| D |
Delta |
Dog |
Dock |
Denver |
| E |
Echo |
Easy |
Easy |
Easy |
| F |
Foxtrot |
Fox |
Fox |
Frank |
| G |
Golf |
George |
George |
George |
| H |
Hotel |
How |
Have |
Henry |
| I |
India |
Item |
Item |
Ida |
| J |
Juliet |
Jig |
Jig |
John |
| K |
Kilo |
King |
King |
King |
| L |
Lima |
Love |
Love |
Lincoln |
| M |
Mike |
Mike |
Mike |
Mary |
| N |
November |
Nan |
Nap |
New York |
| O |
Oscar |
Oboe |
Opal |
Ocean |
| P |
Papa |
Peter |
Pup |
Peter |
| Q |
Quebec |
Queen |
Quack |
Queen |
| R |
Romeo |
Roger |
Rush |
Roger |
| S |
Sierra |
Sugar |
Sail |
Sugar |
| T |
Tango |
Tare |
Tape |
Thomas |
| U |
Uniform |
Uncle |
Unit |
Union |
| V |
Victor |
Victor |
Vice |
Victor |
| W |
Whiskey |
William |
Watch |
William |
| X |
Xray |
X-ray |
X-ray |
X-ray |
| Y |
Yankee |
Yoke |
Yoke |
Young |
| Z |
Zulu |
Zebra |
Zed |
Zero |
Example Usage of the Military Alphabet
Using the military alphabet to spell out “FortLiberty, we would say:
Foxtrot, Oscar, Romeo, Tango, Lima, India, Bravo, Echo, Romeo, Tango, Yankee
Military Alphabet Pronunciation Guide
| A |
AL FAH |
N |
NO VEM BER |
| B |
BRAH VOH |
O |
OSS CAH |
| C |
CHAR LEE |
P |
PAH PAH |
| D |
DELL TAH |
Q |
KEH BECK |
| E |
ECK OH |
R |
ROW ME OH |
| F |
FOKS TROT |
S |
SEE AIR RAH |
| G |
GOLF |
T |
TANG GO |
| H |
HOH TELL |
U |
YOU NEE FORM |
| I |
IN DEE AH |
V |
VIK TAH |
| J |
JEW LEE ETT |
W |
WISS KEY |
| K |
KEY LOH |
X |
ECKS RAY |
| L |
LEE MAH |
Y |
YANG KEY |
| M |
MIKE |
Z |
ZOO LOO |
The Numeric Military Alphabet
There is also a military “alphabet” for numbers, which is mainly a pronunciation guide.
| 0 |
Zeero |
| 1 |
Wun |
| 2 |
Too |
| 3 |
Tree |
| 4 |
Fow-er |
| 5 |
Fife |
| 6 |
Siks |
| 7 |
Seven |
| 8 |
Ait |
| 9 |
Nine |
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