Phonetic RelayPilots · Air traffic control
The aviation alphabet
The ICAO alphabet every pilot and controller uses, how to say the numbers, and how registrations and runways sound on the radio.
The aviation alphabet, A to Z
The ICAO words with their stress, in capitals, as in the ICAO guide. Pilots, controllers and flight dispatchers all use this list.
| Letter | Word | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| A | Alpha | AL-fah |
| B | Bravo | BRAH-voh |
| C | Charlie | CHAR-lee |
| D | Delta | DELL-tah |
| E | Echo | ECK-oh |
| F | Foxtrot | FOKS-trot |
| G | Golf | GOLF |
| H | Hotel | hoh-TELL |
| I | India | IN-dee-ah |
| J | Juliet | JEW-lee-ETT |
| K | Kilo | KEY-loh |
| L | Lima | LEE-mah |
| M | Mike | MIKE |
| N | November | no-VEM-ber |
| O | Oscar | OSS-cah |
| P | Papa | pah-PAH |
| Q | Quebec | keh-BECK |
| R | Romeo | ROW-me-oh |
| S | Sierra | see-AIR-rah |
| T | Tango | TANG-go |
| U | Uniform | YOU-nee-form |
| V | Victor | VIK-tah |
| W | Whiskey | WISS-key |
| X | X-ray | ECKS-ray |
| Y | Yankee | YANG-key |
| Z | Zulu | ZOO-loo |
Official spellings are Alfa and Juliett.
Numbers on the radio
Numbers are said digit by digit, with a few changed on purpose so they cannot be misheard.
| Digit | Say it |
|---|---|
| 0 | ZEE-ro |
| 1 | WUN |
| 2 | TOO |
| 3 | TREE |
| 4 | FOW-er |
| 5 | FIFE |
| 6 | SIX |
| 7 | SEV-en |
| 8 | AIT |
| 9 | NIN-er |
How it sounds in practice
| Written | Said |
|---|---|
| N172SP | November One Seven Two Sierra Papa |
| Runway 27L | Runway Two Seven Left |
| FL350 | Flight level Tree Fife Zero |
| Squawk 7500 | Squawk Seven Fife Zero Zero |
| 121.5 | One Two One Decimal Fife (in the US: “point”) |
Questions
What alphabet do pilots use?
The ICAO alphabet, which is the same list as the NATO phonetic alphabet: Alfa, Bravo, Charlie through to Zulu. It is the standard for aviation worldwide, so pilots and controllers use the same words in every country.
Why do pilots say niner and tree?
To stop numbers being misheard on a noisy radio. ICAO gives 3 as “tree”, 4 as “fow-er”, 5 as “fife” and 9 as “nin-er”, so that five and nine, for example, cannot be confused.
How do you say an aircraft registration?
Letter by letter in the ICAO alphabet, with numbers said digit by digit. N172SP is “November One Seven Two Sierra Papa”, and G-ABCD is “Golf Alfa Bravo Charlie Delta”.
Is the FAA alphabet different?
No. The FAA uses the ICAO words and number pronunciations. One everyday difference is that US controllers usually say “point” in a frequency, as in “one two one point five”, where ICAO says “decimal”.
Why is it Alfa and Juliett?
Those are the official ICAO spellings, chosen so that French and other speakers read the words the way English speakers say them. Alpha and Juliet sound the same.