# the "Navy Alphabet" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 30, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605 "2003-09-30T02:14:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gypsymoth3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@gypsymoth3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsymoth3)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/1 "2003-09-30T02:14:47Z")
a guy in one of my classes just got into the navy and had some little navy bokklet he had to study at school. he showed us all the stuff he had to memorize including “the navy alphabet” (that thing with words like “Juliet”, “Romeo”, and “X-ray” to represent the letters they start with). what is the point in this? it’s not like it’s some elaborate code that anyone that knows the alphabet can’t figure out. it seems kinda pointless to me… maybe it’s something just to see how well you can use your brain but which really has no point… kinda like algebra? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/2 "2003-09-30T02:20:00Z")
That’s the International Telecommunications Union phonetic alphabet: A Alpha B Bravo C Charlie D Delta E Echo F Foxtrot G Golf H Hotel I India J Juliet K Kilo L Lima M Mike N November O Oscar P Papa Q Quebec R Romeo S Sierra T Tango U Uniform V Victor W Whiskey X X-ray Y Yankee Z Zulu ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/3 "2003-09-30T02:21:28Z")
Oh, I forgot the important bit. The reason it’s usen is because many letters sound similara to each other, like D and B or M and N, especially in a noisy military aircraft. So, the ITU phonetic alphabet is used to prevent misunderstandings. ---
**Author:** ![Redsland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9de0a6/32.png) [@Redsland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redsland)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/4 "2003-09-30T02:24:27Z")
It’s most useful when you have to spell things out on the radio. Or in aviation, where there’s lots of letters that get repeated back and forth over the radio. P, B, C, D, E, G, Z, T, and probably a few other letters all sound very similar. So instead of saying “B as in ‘boy,’” you just say “Bravo” and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Extraneous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/0ea827/32.png) [@Extraneous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Extraneous)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/5 "2003-09-30T02:29:11Z")
Military types! What happened to Able, Baker, et. al.? What \*\* Q.E.D.\*\* listed is what I know from civilian pursuits - but I also remember that the US military (back in the day) used a slightly different version. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/6 "2003-09-30T02:41:16Z")
For my entire military career, that particular alphabet was referred to as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/7 "2003-09-30T02:44:25Z")
[http://www.mca-marines.org/Leatherneck/phonetic.htm](http://www.mca-marines.org/Leatherneck/phonetic.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/8 "2003-09-30T03:02:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Extraneous \* > \*\*Military types! > > What happened to Able, Baker, et. al.? > > What \*\* Q.E.D.\*\* listed is what I know from civilian pursuits - but I also remember that the US military (back in the day) used a slightly different version. \*\* **Q.E.D.**'s list is the one I learned in the Nav back in '83/'84. Dunno when they changed, but it’s been this way for at least 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![quothz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/da6949/32.png) [@quothz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quothz)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/9 "2003-09-30T03:35:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > \*\*That’s the International Telecommunications Union phonetic alphabet: > > K Kilo > L Lima > N November > O Oscar > P Papa > Q Quebec > U Uniform > V Victor > \*\* And say the ones I’ve quoted like: “KEE-low” “LEE-mah” “Nov-EMbah” “AHS-kah” “pa-PAH” “KEH-bek” “YOU-nee-form” “VIC-tah” The rest are pronounced normally, by American standards. ---
**Author:** ![quothz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/da6949/32.png) [@quothz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quothz)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/10 "2003-09-30T03:37:20Z")
Er, “Nov-EM-bah”. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/11 "2003-09-30T03:43:36Z")
If the Navy is claiming that alphabet as its own… …well, that’s just fighting words to us Army types. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/12 "2003-09-30T03:50:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Extraneous \* > \*\*Military types! > > What happened to Able, Baker, et. al.? > > What \*\* Q.E.D.\*\* listed is what I know from civilian pursuits - but I also remember that the US military (back in the day) used a slightly different version. \*\* It was changed after this exchange during the Vietnam era (radio)“ **A** ble **B** aker **C** harlie this is **R** oger **F** ox **D** og” GI: “Hey man somebodies bad mouthing Roger!” 😃 Yeah it is from Cheech and Chong. It still cracks me up. ---
**Author:** ![KenGr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecc23a/32.png) [@KenGr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KenGr)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/13 "2003-09-30T04:09:06Z")
Note that this alphabet is also used in civilian applications where clarity is safety significant. (Nuclear Power Operations, Commercial Aviation, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Extraneous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/0ea827/32.png) [@Extraneous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Extraneous)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/14 "2003-09-30T04:10:36Z")
**Monty, Bear\_Nenno Tranquilis** - Thanks. I guess. So I am now officially ancient. oh well, surrender gracefully… [sub]gracefully, my ass![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/15 "2003-09-30T04:12:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Extraneous \* > \*\*Military types! > > What happened to Able, Baker, et. al.? > > What \*\* Q.E.D.\*\* listed is what I know from civilian pursuits - but I also remember that the US military (back in the day) used a slightly different version. \*\* In WWII, the Navy codes were: able baker cast (charlie) dog easy fox george hypo (how) inter (item) jig king love mike negat (nan) over (oboe) prep (peter) queen roger sugar tare uncle victor william x-ray yoke zebra The same list, but with the items in parens, were used by Morse telegraphers prior to that. The Navy added its own variations for reasons I won’t go into now. (See my source, this [newsgroup](http://www.bckelk.uklinux.net/able.html), for more info.) Then there was the American Radio Relay League’s list: Adam Baker Charlie David Edward Frank George Henry Ida John king Lewis Mary Nancy Otto Peter queen Robert Susan Thomas union Victor William x-ray young zebra Although the “alpha bravo” list is the one currently approved for international aviation use, apparently some older pilots still use “able baker.” The only common elements of all the alphabets listed here: victor and x-ray. (I’m reminded of _Uncle Shel_ [Silverstein]_'s A-B-Z Book_, in which "X is for xylophone, because X is _always_ for xylophone. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/16 "2003-09-30T14:01:29Z")
Once I was spelling a word to someone taking an order for something on the phone, and used the Alpha Bravo system. When I got to an S, I said Sierra, and she said that Sierra can be with an S or a C, which one did I mean? I think she must have been thinking of a car model.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/17 "2003-09-30T15:12:28Z")
I learned the phonetic alphabet through having to do safety check-ins by radio when camped in remote areas. I still habitually use it when I have to spell something out over the phone for someone. One of the pilots we used to work with was nicknamed “Charlie Fox” (nothing like his real name, but appropriate to his personality) after his plane’s letters CFI, Charlie Foxtrot India. It might also be mentioned that the name “Charlie” for the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War came from from the initials V.C., Victor Charlie. ---
**Author:** ![Roches](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc8723/32.png) [@Roches](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roches)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/18 "2003-09-30T15:29:55Z")
There’s a large collection of phonetic alphabets for various languages and organizations [here](http://www.bckelk.uklinux.net/menu.html). Police departments and some businesses use a version that’s different than the military one, with a lot of first names. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/19 "2003-09-30T15:48:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gypsymoth3 \* > what is the point in this? it’s not like it’s some elaborate code that anyone that knows the alphabet can’t figure out. it seems kinda pointless to me… maybe it’s something just to see how well you can use your brain but which really has no point… kinda like algebra? \*\* Have you ever ordered take-out food? “That’s appartment 3 B” “G?” “No B” “E?” “NO B!” “T as in TANGO?” “No B as in BRAVO!”. “Oh ok…10 minute!” _click!_ It’s so as to avoid confusion in a world dominated by acronyms. And that algebra will come in handy when you have x=$5 dollars and spring rolls are y = $2.50 a piece and you need to figure out z=how many spring rolls you can order. Sorry to be cross with you but as someone who has yet to find a practical real world use for diferential equations and matrix addition & subtraction I find it unbelievable that someone would be able to go through life never having to solve for z. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605/20 "2003-09-30T16:05:27Z")
Let us not forget my favorite… “niner” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-navy-alphabet/204605.md?page=2)