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Description
This article is from the Phonetic alphabets (Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta) FAQ, by Gwillim Law
gwil@mindspring.com with numerous contributions by others.

02 English (Phonetic Alphabets)

The NATO phonetic alphabet:
Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf Hotel India
Juliet Kilo Lima Mike November Oscar Papa Quebec Romeo
Sierra Tango Uniform Victor Whiskey Xray Yankee Zulu
[This alphabet dates from about 1955 and is approved by the
International Civil Aviation Organization, the FAA and the
International Telecommunication Union; note that different
bodies prefer different spellings, so one also
sees: Alfa Juliett Juliette Oskar Viktor]
[The alphabet above is from the Cambridge Encyclopedia of
Language. An alphabet with Alfa X-ray can be found in The
U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary of Military Terms.
Alfa Juliett X-ray, which is the ICAO version, appears in
A Concise Dictionary Of Slang And Unconventional English
and also a Langenscheidt dictionary]
[UK police use Indigo(???) instead of India.
German army handbook 90/91: Alfa Foxtrott Juliett.

Kids Alphabet Song

Italian version: Alfa Charly FoxTrot Giuliet Romio Wiskey.

An Indonesian phrase book: Beta Ultra Volvo Whisky X-ray.
A precursor of the present alphabet (1952?) had: Alfa Coca
Metro Nectar Siera Union Whisky Extra]
Phonetics for digits (from an amateur radio FAQ):
zero one two tree fower fife six seven eight niner
From the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language:
zero wun too tree fower fife six seven ait niner
'Telecom B':
[Note similarity to Apples Butter Charlie]
Alfred Benjamin Charles David Edward Frederick George Harry
Isaac Jack King London Mary Nellie Oliver Peter Queen Robert
Samuel Tommy Uncle Victor William Xray Yellow Zebra
[Found also in Swedish, Dutch, Hungarian telephone
directories. An 'analogy alphabet' in a Kenyan directory
has Charlie and no Y. A Swiss directory: Andrew Charlie
Lussy Queenie Sugar. French/German vocabulary books: Andrew
Charlie Lucy Mike Nelly Sugar Xmas. English phrase books
for Spanish/Italian speakers: Charlie. A 'British English'
alphabet in a Langenscheidt dictionary: Andrew Charlie Lucy
Queenie Sugar Xmas]
[Used as an English alphabet by telephone operators in
Israel]
'British A':
Amsterdam Baltimore Casablanca Denmark Edison Florida
Gallipoli Havana Italia Jerusalem Kilogramme Liverpool
Madagascar New_York Oslo Paris Quebec Roma Santiago Tripoli
Uppsala Valencia Washington Xantippe Yokohama Zurich
[An 'international' alphabet in a Dutch telephone directory
has: Danemark. A 'French' alphabet in a Hungarian directory
has: Cassablanka Danemark Que'bec Upsala Zu"rich.
An 'international' alphabet in a business book for French
has: Italy Kilogram Zu"rich; the corresponding book for
German has: Italy Kilogram Xanthippe Zu"rich.
An 'international' alphabet in a Langenscheidt dictionary:
Danemark Madagaskar Que'bec Upsala Xanthippe Zu"rich]
[West Berlin telephone directory 1965: Danemark Je'rusalem
Madagaskar Que'bec Upsala Xanthippe Zu"rich.
Santa Fe (Argentina) 1955: Dinamarca Habana Jerusale'n
Kilogramo Nueva_York N~andubay Upsala Wa'shington Xantipo
Yokoama.
Azores 1966: Danemark Ita'lia Jerusale'm New-York Que'bec
Upsala Yokoham]
[Used as a French alphabet by telephone operators in Israel]
Bombay telephone directory 1962 (also a later source):
Army Brother Cinema Doctor English Father Gold Hotel India
Jam King Lady Mother Navy Orange Paper Queen Raja Sister
Table Uncle Victory Water X-ray Yellow Zero
Kenyan and Tanzanian telephone directories 1966:
Africa Bombay Charlie Durban England Freddie George Harry
India Japan Kenya London Mombasa Nairobi Orange Peter Queen
Robert Sugar Tanga Uganda Victory William X-Ray Yellow
Zanzibar
Johannesburg telephone directory 1965:
[Note similarity to Alfred Benjamin]
Arthur Betty Charlie David Edward Frederick George Harry
Isaac Jane Kate Lucy Mary Nellie Olive Peter Queen Robert
Simon Thomas Union Violet William X-Ray York Zero
Malayan telephone directory 1964:

Australia Bombay China Denmark England Fiji Ghana Hongkong

India Japan Kedah London Malacca Norway Osaka Penang
Queensland Russia Singapore Turkey Uganda Victoria Wales
X'Ray Yokohama Zanzibar
Used by police in New York City:
[Note similarity to ARRL and Western Union]
Adam Boy Charlie David Edward Frank George Henry Ida John
King Lincoln Mary Nora Ocean Peter Queen Robert Sam Tom
Union Victor William X-ray Young Zebra
[Variants: Eddie Larry Nancy Thomas Yankee Yellow]
Used by police in Nassau County, Long Island, New York:
Adam Boston Chicago Denver Edward Frank George Henry Ida
John King Lincoln Mary Nancy Ocean Peter Queen Robert Sam
Thomas Union Victor William X-ray Young Zebra
Used by police in San Diego, California:
Adam Boy Charles David Edward Frank George Henry Ida John
King Lincoln Mary Nora Ocean Paul Queen Robert Sam Tom Unit
Victor William Xray Yellow Zebra
Used by police in Hutchinson, Kansas:
Adam Boy Charles David Edward Frank George Henry Ida John
King Lincoln Mary Nora Ocean Paul Q.. Robert Sam Tom Union
Victor William X-ray Yankee Zebra
Alternative phonetics sometimes used unofficially in amateur
radio:
America Boston Canada Denmark England France Germany
Honolulu Japan Kilowatt London Mexico Norway Ontario/Ocean
Pacific Radio Santiago/Spain Tokyo United Victoria
Washington Yokohama Zanzibar
[Also: Amsterdam, Baltimore, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Finland,
Geneva, Greece, Guatemala, Hawaii, Italy, Kentucky, King,
Luxembourg, Montreal, Nicaragua, Portugal, Romania, Russia,
Sweden, Texas, Uruguay, Venezuela]
The ARRL (American Radio Relay League) alphabet (1948):
[Note similarity to Western Union and Able Baker]
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
[Nowadays the ARRL endorses the NATO/ICAO/ITU alphabet]
Pre-1954 U.S. Navy Radio Alphabet:
(Communications Handbook, 1945)
[Note similarity to Able Buy Cast]
Able Baker Charlie Dog Easy Fox George How Item Jig King
Love Mike Nan Oboe Peter Queen Roger Sugar Tare Uncle Victor
William X-ray Yoke Zebra
[formerly used by IBM engineers for hex digits and pin
positions]
"Used by Armed services of USA & GB" (ARRL Handbook, 1945)
Able Baker ... Easy ... Tare ...
Allied Services 1945:
Able Baker ... Edward ... Tape ...
From a book entitled "The Complete Morse Instructor..." (1944):
Able Baker ... Easy ... Tare ...

RAF 1943-56:
Able-Afirm ... Item/Interrogatory ... Jig/Johnny ...
Nab/Negat ... Peter/Prep ...
[In similar alphabets: affirm, cast, hypo, inter, negat,
option, over, prep]
RAF 1942-43:
Apple Beer Charlie Dog Edward Freddy George Harry In
Jug/Johnny King Love Mother Nuts Orange Peter Queen
Roger/Robert Suga Tommy Uncle Vic William X-ray Yoke/Yorker
Zebra
[cf. aircraft in Dambusters raid: A-Apple B-Baker C-Charlie
E-Easy F-Freddie G-George H-Harry J-Johnny K-King L-Leather
(officially L-London) M-Mother N-Nuts O-Orange P-Popsie
S-Sugar T-Tommy W-Willie Y-York Z-Zebra]
Western Union:
Adams Boston Chicago Denver Easy Frank George Henry Ida John
King Lincoln Mary New_York Ocean Peter Queen Roger Sugar
Thomas Union Victor William X-ray Young Zero
British Army 1927:
Ack Beer Charlie Don Edward Freddy George Harry Ink Johnnie
King London Monkey Nuts Orange Pip Queen Robert Sugar Toc
Uncle Vic William X-ray Yorker Zebra
RAF 1924-42:
Ac Beer Charlie Don Edward Freddie George Harry Ink Johnnie
King London Monkey Nuts Orange Pip Queen Robert Sugar Toc
Uncle Vic William X-ray Yorker Zebra
Royal Navy 1917:
Apples Butter Charlie Duff Edward Freddy George Harry Ink
Johnnie King London Monkey Nuts Orange Pudding Queenie
Robert Sugar Tommy Uncle Vinegar Willie Xerxes Yellow Zebra
U.S. Army 1916:
Able Buy Cast Dock Easy Fox George Have Item Jig King Love
Mike Nap Opal Pup Quack Rush Sail Tape Unit Vice Watch X-ray
Yoke Zed
British forces 1904:
Ack Beer C D E F G H I J K L Emma N O Pip Q R Esses Toc U
Vic W X Y Z
[The OED has a reference for Beer and Emma dated 1891]

Continue to:
prev: 01 Phonetic Alphabets (Alpha Bravo etc)
Index
next: 03 French (Phonetic Alphabets)

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Last modified Thu Oct 21 21:39:29 2010

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