NATO Phonetic Alphabet
Spell text with NATO code words.
Overview
Convert any text into the NATO phonetic alphabet — Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta — used by pilots, military operators, and emergency services to spell words clearly over noisy radio channels. Each letter becomes a distinct, hard-to-confuse code word; digits use their plain English names.
Anyone reading out a serial number, confirmation code, license plate, or password over the phone reaches for this. It's also handy for travel agents reading booking references, IT support spelling ticket IDs, and pilots in training learning the alphabet for the first time.
How it works
The alphabet was standardized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 1956 and adopted by NATO. Each letter has a code word chosen to be acoustically distinct in many languages — Alfa (often written 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.
Digits use Zero, One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Niner (instead of "Nine", which can be confused with German "Nein").
Examples
Input: ABC123
Output: Alpha Bravo Charlie One Two Three
Input: SOS
Output: Sierra Oscar Sierra
Input: WIFI-PASSWORD-2024
Output: Whiskey India Foxtrot India ... Two Zero Two Four
FAQ
Why "Niner" instead of "Nine"?
In aviation radio, "nine" can be misheard as the German "nein" (no). "Niner" is unambiguous.
Are there older alphabets like Able, Baker, Charlie?
Yes — the WWII-era Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet (Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog) was replaced by the ICAO/NATO version in 1956. You'll still hear "Able Baker" in old films.
What about police forces?
Some US police agencies use their own alphabet (Adam, Boy, Charles, David). NATO phonetic is the international standard, but local dialects persist.