Phonetic RelayLaw enforcement · Dispatch
The police phonetic alphabet
Adam, Boy, Charles: the radio spelling list most US police use, how it differs from NATO, and where it comes from. Type a word below to spell it.
The police alphabet, A to Z
The APCO words, with the NATO word for the same letter alongside, so you can switch between the two.
| Letter | Police (APCO) | NATO |
|---|---|---|
| A | Adam | Alpha |
| B | Boy | Bravo |
| C | Charles | Charlie |
| D | David | Delta |
| E | Edward | Echo |
| F | Frank | Foxtrot |
| G | George | Golf |
| H | Henry | Hotel |
| I | Ida | India |
| J | John | Juliet |
| K | King | Kilo |
| L | Lincoln | Lima |
| M | Mary | Mike |
| N | Nora | November |
| O | Ocean | Oscar |
| P | Paul | Papa |
| Q | Queen | Quebec |
| R | Robert | Romeo |
| S | Sam | Sierra |
| T | Tom | Tango |
| U | Union | Uniform |
| V | Victor | Victor |
| W | William | Whiskey |
| X | X-ray | X-ray |
| Y | Young | Yankee |
| Z | Zebra | Zulu |
A few departments vary one or two words. Numbers are said normally, digit by digit.
Where it comes from
APCO, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, first raised the idea of a standard word list for police radio in 1940 and defined this one in 1941. In 1974 APCO officially adopted the international NATO (ICAO) alphabet instead, but most US departments simply carried on with Adam and Boy. That is why the list is still the one you hear from police dispatchers, and on TV.
Police alphabet or NATO alphabet?
Police (APCO)
US police, sheriffs and many 911 dispatch centres. Words are first names and everyday words: Adam, Boy, Charles.
NATO (ICAO)
Aviation, shipping, the military and most of the world: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie. See the NATO alphabet.
Questions
What is the police phonetic alphabet?
It is the list of words most US police and sheriff’s departments use to spell over the radio: Adam, Boy, Charles, David, Edward and so on to Zebra. It is usually called the APCO alphabet, after the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, which defined it.
Do the police use the NATO alphabet?
Some agencies do, and APCO itself switched to the NATO (ICAO) alphabet in 1974. Most US departments, though, kept Adam, Boy, Charles, and that is what you will hear on most police radios.
What is the LAPD alphabet?
The same APCO list. It is sometimes called the LAPD alphabet because Los Angeles police use it and it appears in so many films and TV series.
Is it the same in every department?
Very nearly. A few departments swap a word or two, so check your own agency’s radio procedures if you work in dispatch or law enforcement.
How do police say numbers?
As ordinary numbers, digit by digit: “one two three”. Unlike aviation, police radio does not use “niner” or “tree”.