If you’ve ever heard someone spell something out as “Alpha, Bravo, Charlie” over a radio, in a movie, or on a call center line, you’ve heard the military alphabet – officially known as the NATO phonetic alphabet. Each of the 26 letters is assigned its own code word, chosen specifically to avoid confusion between letters that sound alike (think B, D, and P).
Below is a quick-answer guide to every single letter. Looking up just one letter? Jump straight to it. Want to convert a whole name, callsign, or phrase at once? Our Military Alphabet Converter does that instantly in your browser.
A: What is A in the military alphabet?
Alpha, pronounced AL-fah. Alpha is also widely used outside military contexts – in aviation, “Alpha checks” and “Alpha teams” borrow the same naming convention.
B: What is B in the military alphabet?
Bravo, pronounced BRAH-voh. Bravo is one of the letters this whole system exists to protect – B, D, P, and T all sound similar over a weak radio signal, which is exactly why each needs a distinct, multi-syllable code word.
C: What is C in the military alphabet?
Charlie, pronounced CHAR-lee. Charlie became widely known outside military use through Vietnam War-era slang (“Charlie” referring to the Viet Cong), one of the more culturally recognizable code words on this list.
D: What is D in the military alphabet?
Delta, pronounced DELL-tah. Delta is also used as a mathematical and scientific symbol for “change,” a coincidence that makes it one of the more recognizable code words to non-military audiences.
E: What is E in the military alphabet?
Echo, pronounced ECK-oh. As the only single-syllable-sounding option among the vowels, Echo was chosen partly for how distinctly it carries over radio static.
F: What is F in the military alphabet?
Foxtrot, pronounced FOKS-trot. Named after the dance, Foxtrot is one of the more instantly memorable code words for new learners.
G: What is G in the military alphabet?
Golf, pronounced GOLF. Simple and short, Golf is one of the few code words that’s just the everyday word for the sport.
H: What is H in the military alphabet?
Hotel, pronounced hoh-TELL. Hotel’s stress falls on the second syllable – a small detail, but getting the stress right matters for radio clarity.
I: What is I in the military alphabet?
India, pronounced IN-dee-ah. India is one of several country-name code words in the alphabet, chosen for its clear, distinct syllable pattern.
J: What is J in the military alphabet?
Juliett, pronounced JEW-lee-ett. Notice the spelling: two T’s, not one. That’s intentional – it ensures French speakers and other non-native English speakers don’t drop the final letter as silent.
K: What is K in the military alphabet?
Kilo, pronounced KEY-loh. Like Golf, Kilo doubles as an everyday unit of measurement, making it easy to remember.
L: What is L in the military alphabet?
Lima, pronounced LEE-mah. Also the name of Peru’s capital city – another example of the alphabet borrowing recognizable place names.
M: What is M in the military alphabet?
Mike, pronounced MIKE. Simple, single-syllable, and one of the most commonly referenced code words in everyday pop culture.
N: What is N in the military alphabet?
November, pronounced no-VEM-ber. One of the longer code words on the list, chosen for how distinctly its multiple syllables carry over noisy channels.
O: What is O in the military alphabet?
Oscar, pronounced OSS-cah. Distinct and short, Oscar avoids confusion with other O-sounding letters and numbers.
P: What is P in the military alphabet?
Papa, pronounced pah-PAH. P is one of the letters most prone to confusion with B, D, and T – Papa’s doubled syllable helps set it apart clearly.
Q: What is Q in the military alphabet?
Quebec, pronounced keh-BECK. Named after the Canadian province, Quebec is one of the alphabet’s more distinctive-sounding code words.
R: What is R in the military alphabet?
Romeo, pronounced ROW-me-oh. Familiar from literature and pop culture, Romeo is one of the easier code words for new learners to retain.
S: What is S in the military alphabet?
Sierra, pronounced see-AIR-rah. Like several other code words, Sierra borrows a geographic term – in this case, referring to mountain ranges.
T: What is T in the military alphabet?
Tango, pronounced TANG-go. Another dance-inspired code word, Tango is short but distinct enough to avoid confusion with similar-sounding letters.
U: What is U in the military alphabet?
Uniform, pronounced YOU-nee-form. One of the trickier code words for new learners, since its stress pattern differs from how the word is normally spoken.
V: What is V in the military alphabet?
Victor, pronounced VIK-tah. Straightforward and clear, Victor is rarely confused with any other code word on the list.
W: What is W in the military alphabet?
Whiskey, pronounced WISS-key. One of the most recognizable code words even outside military and aviation circles.
X: What is X in the military alphabet?
X-ray, pronounced ECKS-ray. Since very few common words start with X, X-ray was a practical, easily understood choice.
Y: What is Y in the military alphabet?
Yankee, pronounced YANG-key. A term with deep American cultural roots, chosen for its clear, unmistakable sound.
Z: What is Z in the military alphabet?
Zulu, pronounced ZOO-loo. Beyond its use as a letter code, “Zulu time” is also the military and aviation term for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) – a detail worth knowing if you come across the term elsewhere.
Need to convert more than one letter?
Looking up single letters is useful, but most real-world use means spelling out full names, callsigns, or serial numbers. Our free Military Alphabet Converter does that instantly – type any word or phrase and get the complete phonetic spelling, pronunciation guide, and a full interactive A–Z chart, all processed locally in your browser with nothing sent to a server.