International phonetic alphabet

Spelling out letters one by one into a microphone creates confusion: “m” and “n” sound alike, as do “b”, “d”, “p”, and “t,” especially with background noise or a weak signal. The phonetic alphabet solves this by replacing each letter with a code word that stays recognizable even when the audio is poor.

It is the same alphabet used by civil aviation, armed forces, and most radio teams worldwide, which makes it a standard understood by anyone already trained in radio use, regardless of category (unlicensed, CB, or amateur radio).

Letters

The pronunciation column uses the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), the standard system for representing the sound of a word precisely, regardless of the reader’s own language. Two symbols come up often: ˈ marks the stressed syllable (the one right after it), and ː means the preceding vowel is lengthened.

Note that the H in Hotel is pronounced (/h/), and that the J in Juliett sounds like the “j” in “jam” (/dʒ/), not like a Spanish jota or a Portuguese J.

Numbers

For numbers, just say each digit individually instead of the full number: “one, two, five” instead of “one hundred twenty-five.” In Brazilian Portuguese-language radio use, the one common substitution is saying “meia” (“half”) instead of “seis” (“six”), because “seis” is easily confused with “três” (“three”) when the signal cuts out. In English-language use, the ICAO convention instead stresses certain syllables (“niner” for nine, “fife” for five, “tree” for three) for the same reason — clarity under noise and a cut signal.

How to use it

Only spell out what could cause confusion: proper names, addresses, plates, codes. Say the whole word, without shortening it: “Alfa Street, Bravo, Charlie” instead of “A Street, B, C.”

See also

• How to operate the radio in an emergency
• Q Code