NATO Phonetic Alphabet Converter
Spell names, confirmation codes and serial numbers clearly over the phone. Converts text to the NATO phonetic alphabet (Alfa, Bravo, Charlie…) and back, with the full chart below.
Result
How to use the phonetic alphabet converter
- Type a name, code or number.
- Read the phonetic spelling, one word per character, or switch direction to decode phonetic words back to text.
- Copy the result or use the chart.
About the NATO phonetic alphabet
The International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet, usually called the NATO phonetic alphabet, assigns a distinct code word to each letter so letters that sound alike (B, D, P, T, V) cannot be confused over a poor connection. It is used by aviation, the military, police, call centers and anyone reading out a confirmation number.
The official spellings are Alfa and Juliett (not Alpha and Juliet) so speakers of other languages pronounce them correctly. Numbers have official pronunciations too, such as "tree" for 3, "fife" for 5 and "niner" for 9, shown in the chart.
Decoding accepts either spelling and common variants, ignores capitalization, and treats anything it does not recognize as a literal character.
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Frequently asked questions
Why "Alfa" instead of "Alpha"?
The official spelling avoids the "ph" so non-English speakers pronounce it correctly; the same applies to Juliett.
Is it the same as the police alphabet?
Many US police agencies use an older alphabet (Adam, Boy, Charles…). NATO is the international standard.
How do I say numbers?
Mostly as normal, with official variants: tree (3), fower (4), fife (5) and niner (9).
What about punctuation?
Dash and period have spoken forms; other symbols are spoken by name.