ITU Phonetic Alphabet

The ITU phonetic alphabet is used worldwide to make radio communication clearer—especially when spelling call signs, names, or any words that could be misunderstood. Every pilot must know it well enough to use it instantly, especially in poor radio conditions.

You use the phonetic alphabet whenever:

  • spelling aircraft registration
  • reading back clearances
  • transmitting unfamiliar names or words
  • communication quality is weak

Phonetic Alphabet

Letter Word Pronounced
A Alfa AL-FAH
B Bravo BRAH-VOH
C Charlie CHAR-LEE / SHAR-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 Juliett 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 / OO-NEE-FORM
V Victor VIK-TAH
W Whiskey WISS-KEY
X X-ray ECKS-RAY
Y Yankee YANG-KEY
Z Zulu ZOO-LOO

 

Numbers (How to Say Them on the Radio)

Number Said As
0 ZE-RO
1 WUN
2 TOO
3 TREE
4 FOW-ER
5 FIFE
6 SIX
7 SEV-EN
8 AIT
9 NIN-ER

 

Additional terms:

  • Decimal → DAY-SEE-MAL
  • Hundred → HUN-DRED
  • Thousand → TOW-SAND

Transmission of Numbers

When transmitting numbers on the radio, say each digit separately, unless the number is a whole thousand.

General Rules

  • Say each digit individually
    • 10 → “one zero”
    • 75 → “seven five”
    • 100 → “one zero zero”
    • 5800 → “five eight zero zero”
  • For whole thousands, say the digits, then “thousand”
    • 11,000 → “one one thousand”
  • If there's a decimal, say “decimal”
    • 121.5 → “one two one decimal five” 

    Money (if ever transmitted)

    Say the units in the order written.

    • $17.25 → “dollars one seven decimal two five”
    • $0.75 → “decimal seven five”

    Altitude and Flight Levels

    • Altitudes are said in thousands and hundreds
      • 2700 → “two thousand seven hundred”
    • Flight levels use separate digits
      • FL265 → “flight level two six five”

    Aircraft Types, Wind, and Clouds

    Some aviation numbers are spoken as groups, not digit-by-digit:

    • Flight 320 → “flight three twenty”
    • DC10 → “D C ten”
    • 34BKN → “thirty four hundred broken”
    • Wind 270/10 → “wind two seven zero degrees one zero knots”

    Time (UTC / Zulu)

    • 0920Z → “zero niner two zero zulu”
    • 09 → “nine minutes past the hour”

    Headings

    Always spoken as three digits:

    • 005° → “heading zero zero five”
    • 350° → “heading three five zero”

    Headings are:

    • Magnetic in the Southern Domestic Airspace
    • True in the Northern Domestic Airspace

    (Don’t worry—flight training will explain this in detail.)

    Aerodrome Elevation

    Say the elevation in feet, prefixed with “field elevation”:

    • 150 → “field elevation one five zero”
    • 3500 → “field elevation three thousand five zero zero”