Prerequisites
This lesson is part of the RYA Competent Crew course and pairs with VHF Radio Basics. You need no previous experience. It helps to know:
- Where the VHF radio is on board and what Channel 16 is for.
- That your boat has a name and (if licensed) a call sign and MMSI.
- How a position is written as latitude and longitude.
Learning Objectives
- Recite the 26 words of the ITU/NATO phonetic alphabet from Alfa to Zulu.
- Say the radio numbers 0 to 9 with the correct pronunciation.
- Spell a boat name, call sign or place name using the "I spell" procedure.
- Pass a position, time and course clearly on the radio.
- Understand why the alphabet exists and avoid the common mistakes.
Why a Phonetic Alphabet?
On a crackly VHF set, with wind in the microphone and an engine running, many letters sound the same. B, D, E, P, T and V all end in "ee"; M and N blur together; F and S are easily confused. A misheard letter in a boat name or call sign can send a lifeboat looking for the wrong vessel.
The phonetic alphabet replaces each letter with a word that sounds unlike every other word in the set, and can be understood by speakers of many languages. It was adopted internationally in the 1950s and is used by ships, aircraft, the military and the emergency services. At sea it is set out by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), so you will hear it called the ITU, ICAO or NATO alphabet. They are the same 26 words.
The 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-TELL |
| 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 |
Note the official spellings Alfa (not Alpha) and Juliett (two t's). They were chosen so that speakers of other languages pronounce them correctly: in French or Spanish, "ph" and a single final "t" might be said differently. You will not fail anything for writing "Alpha", but say it as AL-fah.
The stressed syllable matters. Hotel is hoh-TELL and Papa is pah-PAH, which keeps them distinct from other words in noise.
Radio Numbers
Numbers are also given special pronunciations, and are always spoken digit by digit:
| Digit | Say it |
|---|---|
| 0 | ZERO |
| 1 | WUN |
| 2 | TOO |
| 3 | TREE |
| 4 | FOW-ER |
| 5 | FIFE |
| 6 | SIX |
| 7 | SEV-EN |
| 8 | AIT |
| 9 | NIN-ER |
"Fife" avoids confusion between five and nine; "nin-er" keeps nine from sounding like the German nein (no). A decimal point is spoken as DECIMAL.
Examples:
- Channel 16: "wun six".
- Time 1425: "wun fow-er too fife" (always the 24-hour clock, normally UTC or local time stated).
- Course 095 degrees: "zero nin-er fife degrees". Courses and bearings always use three figures.
- Position 50°22.4'N: "fife zero degrees too too decimal fow-er minutes north".
The "I Spell" Procedure
When a word might be misunderstood, say the word, then "I spell", then the phonetic letters, then the word again:
"Yacht Ocean Star, I spell: Oscar Charlie Echo Alfa November, Sierra Tango Alfa Romeo, Ocean Star."
Leave a small pause between words of a name so the listener can write each one down. Call signs are always spelled phonetically, and never need the word repeated: "my call sign is Mike Bravo Delta Delta two".
You spell when:
- Giving your boat's name to the coastguard, a marina or a lock keeper, especially if it is unusual.
- Giving a call sign.
- Naming a place or a person whose name could be misheard (e.g. "Youghal, I spell Yankee Oscar Uniform Golf Hotel Alfa Lima").
- Passing a reference, such as a booking code or berth number.
You do not spell ordinary words in a routine message.
Worked Example
You are crewing on Kittiwake, call sign MKWT4, and the skipper asks you to call the marina on Channel 80 to book a berth.
"Haven Marina, Haven Marina, this is yacht Kittiwake, Kittiwake, over."
The marina answers and asks for the name.
"Haven Marina, this is Kittiwake. I spell: Kilo India Tango Tango India Whiskey Alfa Kilo Echo, Kittiwake. Eleven metres, one night, arriving one six three zero. Over."
Notice the time is given digit by digit, and the length is a normal number because there is no ambiguity in context. If the marina asks for the call sign: "Mike Kilo Whiskey Tango fow-er."
Learning Tips
- Learn it in blocks of five: A–E, F–J, K–O, P–T, U–Z. Say each block aloud until it flows.
- Spell everything around you: car number plates, street signs, your own name. Ten minutes a day for a week is enough for most people.
- Use the flashcard drill in the Phonetic Alphabet tool, then switch to Word → letter to test recognition as well as recall.
- Practise out loud, not just in your head. On the radio, it is the speaking that counts.
Common Mistakes
- Making up words ("A for apple, B for butter"). Only the standard words are understood worldwide.
- Saying "Alpha" as AL-fer or "Juliet" without the stress. Use the listed pronunciation.
- Saying numbers as whole words ("one hundred and fifty-six"). Say "wun fife six".
- Rushing. Speak at a steady pace with a slight pause between letters, especially in a long name.
- Forgetting "I spell", so the listener does not know whether you are spelling or saying words.
- Spelling only part of a name, or not repeating the name at the end.
Summary
- The phonetic alphabet gives each letter a distinct word: Alfa, Bravo, Charlie… Zulu.
- Official spellings are Alfa and Juliett.
- Numbers are spoken digit by digit: wun, too, tree, fow-er, fife, six, sev-en, ait, nin-er, zero; "decimal" for the point.
- Use "word, I spell, letters, word" for names; always spell call signs.
- Courses and bearings use three figures; times use the 24-hour clock.
Check Your Understanding
1. Why does marine radio use a phonetic alphabet?
Answer: Many letters sound alike over a noisy radio (B, D, E, P, T, V; M and N; F and S). Each phonetic word is distinct, so names and call signs are not misheard.
2. What are the phonetic words for M, N, P and V?
Answer: Mike, November, Papa, Victor.
3. How do you say the number 9 on the radio, and why?
Answer: NIN-ER, so it cannot be confused with five or with the German "nein".
4. Spell the boat name "Puffin" using the correct procedure.
Answer: "Puffin, I spell: Papa Uniform Foxtrot Foxtrot India November, Puffin."
5. How would you say a course of 045 degrees?
Answer: "Zero fow-er fife degrees."
6. How would you say the time 0930?
Answer: "Zero nin-er tree zero."
7. Which two words have unusual official spellings?
Answer: Alfa (not Alpha) and Juliett (not Juliet).
8. Do you need to repeat a call sign as a word after spelling it?
Answer: No. Call signs are simply spelled phonetically; only pronounceable words are repeated after "I spell".
9. Which phonetic word is stressed on the second syllable: Hotel or Golf?
Answer: Hotel (hoh-TELL). Golf has one syllable.
10. Give the position 51°07.5'N in radio speech.
Answer: "Fife wun degrees zero sev-en decimal fife minutes north."