The aviation phonetic alphabet
Alfa to Zulu, how to say numbers, and how pilots use it on the radio.
Pilots and controllers spell everything with the ICAO phonetic alphabet so letters don't get mixed up on a scratchy radio: "B" and "D" sound alike, "Bravo" and "Delta" don't. You'll use it for tail numbers, taxiways, ATIS codes and airport identifiers on every flight.
The phonetic alphabet
| Letter | Word | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| A | Alfa | AL-FAH |
| B | Bravo | BRAH-VOH |
| C | Charlie | CHAR-LEE |
| D | Delta | DELL-TAH |
| E | Echo | ECK-OH |
| F | Foxtrot | FOKS-TROT |
| G | Golf | GOLF |
| H | Hotel | HOH-TEL |
| I | India | IN-DEE-AH |
| J | Juliett | JEW-LEE-ETT |
| K | Kilo | KEY-LOH |
| L | Lima | LEE-MAH |
| M | Mike | MIKE |
| N | November | NO-VEM-BER |
| O | Oscar | OSS-CAH |
| P | Papa | PAH-PAH |
| Q | Quebec | KEH-BECK |
| R | Romeo | ROW-ME-OH |
| S | Sierra | SEE-AIR-RAH |
| T | Tango | TANG-GO |
| U | Uniform | YOU-NEE-FORM |
| V | Victor | VIK-TAH |
| W | Whiskey | WISS-KEY |
| X | X-ray | ECKS-RAY |
| Y | Yankee | YANG-KEY |
| Z | Zulu | ZOO-LOO |
Numbers on the radio
| Number | Word | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Zero | ZEE-RO |
| 1 | One | WUN |
| 2 | Two | TOO |
| 3 | Three | TREE |
| 4 | Four | FOW-ER |
| 5 | Five | FIFE |
| 6 | Six | SIX |
| 7 | Seven | SEV-EN |
| 8 | Eight | AIT |
| 9 | Nine | NIN-ER |
Source: FAA AIM 4-2-7, Phonetic Alphabet.
How pilots actually use it
- Tail numbers: N123AB is "November one two three Alfa Bravo." After the first call, ATC may shorten it to "three Alfa Bravo."
- Altitudes: 4,500 is "four thousand five hundred." Flight levels are digits: FL180 is "flight level one eight zero."
- Headings and frequencies: each digit separately. Heading 090 is "heading zero niner zero," 121.5 is "one two one point five."
- ATIS: "Information Charlie" tells the controller which recording you heard.
The fastest way to make it automatic is to say it out loud. Practice real calls in the Radio Trainer.
Common questions
Why do pilots say niner?
To keep 9 from being confused with the German 'nein' and with 5 on a noisy radio. The FAA's pronunciation guide uses NIN-ER.
Is it Alfa or Alpha?
The official ICAO spelling is Alfa (and Juliett with two Ts), so non-English speakers pronounce them correctly. Both are said the same way.
How do you say a tail number?
Letter by letter and digit by digit: N123AB is 'November one two three Alfa Bravo'.
Sources, review & change history
- Published
- Oct 26, 2026
- Review status
- Written from the FAA sources linked in the text. Not yet re-checked line by line or reviewed by a flight instructor.
- Changes
- Oct 26, 2026: first published.
Study aid only. Your instructor, current 14 CFR and the FAA's handbooks and ACS have the final word.