Since
radio became an important tool of military operations, the US armed
forces have used several different phonetic alphabets. That's why World
War II movies have characters saying "Able Baker Charlie" while
present-day soldiers say "Alpha Bravo Charlie" for the same ABC. Here is
a chart of the alphabets used by the U.S. and NATO.
|
1913 |
1927 |
1938 |
WW II |
1957-Present |
A |
Able |
Affirmative |
Affirm |
Affirm
(Able) |
Alpha |
B |
Boy |
Baker |
Baker |
Baker |
Bravo |
C |
Cast |
Cast |
Cast |
Charlie |
Charlie |
D |
Dog |
Dog |
Dog |
Dog |
Delta |
E |
Easy |
Easy |
Easy |
Easy |
Echo |
F |
Fox |
Fox |
Fox |
Fox |
Foxtrot |
G |
George |
George |
George |
George |
Golf |
H |
Have |
Hypo |
Hypo |
How |
Hotel |
I |
Item |
Interrogatory |
Int |
Int
(Item) |
India |
J |
Jig |
Jig |
Jig |
Jig |
Juliett |
K |
King |
King |
King |
King |
Kilo |
L |
Love |
Love |
Love |
Love |
Lima |
M |
Mike |
Mike |
Mike |
Mike |
Mike |
N |
Nan |
Negative |
Negat |
Negat (Nan) |
November |
O |
Oboe |
Option |
Option |
Option
(Oboe) |
Oscar |
P |
Pup |
Preparatory |
Prep |
Prep
(Peter) |
Papa |
Q |
Quack |
Quack |
Queen |
Queen |
Quebec |
R |
Rush |
Roger |
Roger |
Roger |
Romeo |
S |
Sail |
Sail |
Sail |
Sugar |
Sierra |
T |
Tare |
Tare |
Tare |
Tare |
Tango |
U |
Unit |
Unit |
Unit |
Uncle |
Uniform |
V |
Vice |
Vice |
Victor |
Victor |
Victor |
W |
Watch |
William |
William |
William |
Whiskey |
X |
X-ray |
X-ray |
X-ray |
X-ray |
X-ray |
Y |
Yoke |
Yoke |
Yoke |
Yoke |
Yankee |
Z |
Zed |
Zed |
Zed |
Zebra |
Zulu |
|