# Abel, Baker, Charlie... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 20, 1999, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375 "1999-06-20T04:15:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 1999, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375/1 "1999-06-20T04:15:00Z")
Can anybody fill out the military radio alphabet for me? I know I’ve seen variations; are these inter-service or maybe time related variations? A - Abel B - Baker C - Charlie D - Dog (Delta) E - ? F - Frank G - Geronimo H - ? I - Indian J - ? K - ? L - Lima M - Mary N - ? O - ? P - ? Q - ? R - ? S - ? T - tango U - ? V - ? W - Whiskey X - ? Y - ? Z - Zulu ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 1999, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375/2 "1999-06-20T05:47:00Z")
Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima (pronounced Leeema),Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebeck, Romeo, Sam, Tango, Uncle, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu This is the Army version. I don’t know if the others have the same one. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 1999, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375/3 "1999-06-20T06:13:00Z")
Dawnbird’s list is the one currently used by the US Armed Forces, as well as all US air traffic (and lots of international flights too). The only difference, I’m told, is that the FAA standard lists S as Sierra. The standard has been changed over the years, which is why the radio operators in black-and-white war movies say Abel for A. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 1999, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375/4 "1999-06-20T06:45:00Z")
same as dawnbird, but S- Sierra U - Uniform oh yeah, Q-Quebec hehehee just the Canadian version…rest of the alphabet are same ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 1999, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375/5 "1999-06-20T08:24:00Z")
“E” is “easy” as in Sgt Rock and Easy Company. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 1999, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375/6 "1999-06-20T09:21:00Z")
The 1999 FAA handbook states that the alphabet is as follows: Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf Hotel India Juliet Kilo Lima Mike November Oscar Papa Quebec Romeo Sierra Tango Uniform Victor Whiskey X-ray Yankee Zulu Basically, the composite of what everyone else said. Now, what the options are in other fields of the military, and police forces may vary and these may change over time, but this is the curent FAA, pilots usage in the USA. * * * The facts expressed here belong to everybody, the opinions to me. The distinction is yours to draw… Omniscient; BAG ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 1999, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375/7 "1999-06-20T09:55:00Z")
You caught me Hannu, it’s been a while since basic. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 1999, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375/8 "1999-06-20T11:08:00Z")
In the Marines, about 10 years ago, we used the same one listed by Omniscient. Let’s see if I can remember the civilian one used by the local police… Adam Boy Charles David Edward Frank George Henry Ida John King Lincoln Mary Nora Ocean Paul Queen? Robert Sam Tom Union Victor? William X-ray? Young Zebra I’m not a cop, but we use this one where I work. It’s real annoying to have a name that is used for a letter (Sam in my case). ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 1999, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375/9 "1999-06-20T11:09:00Z")
Within some police departments, they use the Abel, Baker, Charlie series instead of the military and FAA version. Why they prefer one over the other, I have no idea. Maybe they want to make sure they don’t get confused with a bunch of low browed militant Marines. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 1999, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375/10 "1999-06-20T11:12:00Z")
I think you got most of them right, but the system I learned had a few differences: K as in knife P as in pneumonia H as in preparation (thanks, Lawrence Block) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 1999, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375/11 "1999-06-20T14:08:00Z")
Those interested in information about phonetic alphabets may find this site of interest: [http://www.nor.com.au/community/sarc/phonetic.htm](http://www.nor.com.au/community/sarc/phonetic.htm) . Of course, prior to the establishment of NATO, there was no standard phonetic alphabet in use in Europe. The current military phonetic alphabet is the NATO version, which itself is the ICAO version. It’s also widely used by Ham Radio operators and even some of the voice dictation computer programs. The idea of using words instead of letters is to ensure the recipient of your message receives your message as many letters and some numbers have very similar names. My favourites for the numbers are 3 “Tree” and 9 “Nine-er.” Of course that made watching “Wathership Down” a bit funny what with the main character’s name being Fiver. Cheers! -Chip ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 1999, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375/12 "1999-06-20T14:11:00Z")
The movie title above should be “Watership Down.” That is: Whiskey Alpha Tango Echo Romeo Sierra Hotel Papa." 😉 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 1999, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375/13 "1999-06-20T14:25:00Z")
“Able Baker Charlie to Roger Fox Dogs! Able Baker Charlie to Roger Fox Dogs!” ## “Hey, man… somebody’s really talking bad about Roger…” _Cheech & Chong_ ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 1999, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abel-baker-charlie/1375/14 "1999-06-21T18:11:00Z")
I know that the British (and therefore the Canadian) Army had a different alpha code, developed first during WWI, to assist in communicating over the trench phones. It was still in place in WWII. I can only remember bits, for example: Ack Beer Fox King Nan Emma Oboe Pip (or Peter) Queen etc… My late grandfather (Canadian Army Medical Corps, 1916-19) habitually spoke of “ack emma” and “pip emma” when referring to morning or afternoon. * * * “A friend will help you move house. A best friend will help you move a body.”–Alexi Sayle