Use the NATO phonetic alphabet or make up your own?

[Senegoid]

Note also that the standard is very specific about how the words should be pronounced.

“O” (the letter Oh) is Oscar, pronounced OS-cah
“Q” is Quebec, pronounced KAY-beck
“V” is Victor, pronounced VIC-tah
“3” is Tree (not Three)
“4” is Fower
“5” is Fife
and everyone knows “9” is Niner (lest it be mistaken for the German “nein”; remember, this is supposed to be an international code).

“Yes” is always to be pronounced “Affirmative”
“No” is always to be pronounced “Negative”

One pilot I fly with from time to time is quite the stickler about all these, even including “Tree” and “Fife”. Most others that I know pronounce most of the words more like normal (Oscar, Victor, Three, Four, Five), but everybody seems to agree with “Niner”.

[I_Love_Me_Vol.I]

@Senegoid

Note also that the standard is very specific about how the words should be pronounced.

“O” (the letter Oh) is Oscar, pronounced OS-cah
“Q” is Quebec, pronounced KAY-beck
“V” is Victor, pronounced VIC-tah
“3” is Tree (not Three)
“4” is Fower
“5” is Fife
and everyone knows “9” is Niner (lest it be mistaken for the German “nein”; remember, this is supposed to be an international code).

Oscar and Victor are to be pronounced as if you’re from Boston???

:p:p:p:eek::eek::eek::D:D:D

[gdave]

@Senegoid

Being a student pilot, I’ve learned the NATO radio alphabet, which is the international standard in aviation. Also used by the military.

Note that there is a different standard commonly used by American law enforcement, as mentioned by jnglmassiv several posts above.

I had occasion to spell my name to a police dispatcher a few months ago. When I said:

she asked me if I had been in the military because I had some of the words “wrong”. :smack:

Note, by the way, the correct usage is NOT:
"S as in Sierra, E as in Echo, N as in November, E as is Echo, . . . "

but simply:
“Sierra Echo November Echo . . .”

Actually, the “correct” usage is:

“Senegoid, I spell: Sierra Echo November Echo Gulf Oscar India Delta: Senegoid.”

Or at least that was the “correct” usage I was taught in the U.S. Army. But, since I’m generally not interacting with someone who received U.S. Army training anymore, I don’t use that procedure, I say: “Senegoid, that’s S as in Sierra, E as in Echo…”

I do use the NATO phonetic alphabet because that was drilled into me and it comes naturally. I’d have to deliberately try not to use it.

[Sicks_Ate]

I’ve used both NATO and APCO, so I usually use the first one that comes to mind.

[Gorsnak]

When I use NATO to spell something out for my coworker she inevitably asks me if Sierra is S or C.

[Bookkeeper]

My Militia service was in a Signals regiment, so NATO was drilled into me and is still my automatic usage half a century later.

[Dung_Beetle]

Whenever I deal with Disney employees on the phone(always a pleasure, seriously), they check spelling with their own alphabet: Ariel, Bambi, Cinderella, Dumbo, etc. I don’t know the whole thing but I’m sure you can guess M.

[jz78817]

@msmith537

M=Mancy

you of all people.
I did something similar to someone at work. they asked “Did you say ‘B’ or ‘D’?” I replied “‘B’ as in ‘Bog.’”

[Senegoid]

@gdave

Actually, the “correct” usage is:

“Senegoid, I spell: Sierra Echo November Echo Gulf Oscar India Delta: Senegoid.”

I wasn’t taught it that way (from flying lessons, not from military), but I don’t doubt that a bit. Sounds thorough that way. Sounds like you’re participating in a spelling bee.

By all my sources, “G” is Golf, not Gulf, but that’s probably subtle.

Were you taught to pronounce Oscar and Victor like you’re from Boston?

[Mk_VII]

Shirley you can’t be serious.

[WildaBeast]

@WildaBeast

If I can remember the NATO word for the letter I need, I’ll use that. If I can remember the official NATO one right away then I’ll use a random word.

I only just now caught my error in the second sentence, but I hope it was obvious from context that I meant “If I can’t remember the official NATO one right away then I’ll use a random word.”

[WildaBeast]

@Mk_VII

Shirley you can’t be serious.

Roger, over.

[DinoR]

When I first put on a US Army uniform I was 19. I retired at 46. It should not be surprising that I always use NATO.

[silenus]

@WildaBeast

Roger, over.

“Oveur.” “Dunn.”

[msmith537]

@Just_Asking_Questions

I use words with silent or odd first letters.

Pneumonia
Xerox
Aether
Chutzpa

I said D as in Django damn it!

[Paul_in_Qatar]

The NATO alphabet is part of my physical being and need to be taught in all schools.

[Richard_Pearse]

I only use it for letters that are genuinely difficult to distinguish, like “M” and “N”, and usually use the appropriate NATO words but not the overly precise pronunciation.

[PatrickLondon]

When I was a child, the seaside postcard stands often had one with a comedy alphabet that ran something like

A for 'orses
B for Lamb
C for Miles
D for Dumb

(I now discover it came from a novelty number of the 1930s)

Though trying to use it for spelling would probably get you an invitation to Foxtrot Oscar.

[jz78817]

@gdave

Actually, the “correct” usage is:

“Senegoid, I spell: Sierra Echo November Echo Gulf Oscar India Delta: Senegoid.”

Or at least that was the “correct” usage I was taught in the U.S. Army. But, since I’m generally not interacting with someone who received U.S. Army training anymore, I don’t use that procedure, I say: “Senegoid, that’s S as in Sierra, E as in Echo…”

I do use the NATO phonetic alphabet because that was drilled into me and it comes naturally. I’d have to deliberately try not to use it.

“Robert Loggia: ‘R’ as in ‘Robert Loggia.’ ‘O’ as in ‘Oh my God, it’s Robert Loggia!’ ‘B’ as in ‘By God, that’s Robert Loggia!’ ‘E’ as in ‘Everybody loves Robert Loggia.’ …”

[Acsenray]

@Dewey_Finn

I can never remember the NATO phonetic alphabet so I usually make it up on the fly. Usually common English names.

This is what I do … David, Thomas, Mary, Robert, Brian, etc.