The ICAO radiotelephony spelling alphabet assigns a word to every letter from A to Z. It helps distinguish letters over a radio, where noise, accents and similar sounds can make an individual letter difficult to hear. Aviation uses this standard alphabet rather than an improvised list of words.
The complete alphabet
A — Alfa; B — Bravo; C — Charlie; D — Delta; E — Echo; F — Foxtrot.
G — Golf; H — Hotel; I — India; J — Juliett; K — Kilo; L — Lima.
M — Mike; N — November; O — Oscar; P — Papa; Q — Quebec; R — Romeo.
S — Sierra; T — Tango; U — Uniform; V — Victor; W — Whiskey; X — X-ray; Y — Yankee; Z — Zulu.
The standard spellings are Alfa and Juliett. The familiar English spellings “Alpha” and “Juliet” are often seen informally, but do not reproduce the official alphabet accurately. The FAA’s radio communications guidance provides the reference alphabet and pronunciation information.
Letters and numbers have distinct conventions
The spelling alphabet covers letters. Numbers use their own radiotelephony pronunciation conventions. Examples include “TREE” for three, “FIFE” for five and “NINER” for nine. Those forms help keep important sounds distinct; they do not change the value of the number.
Knowing the alphabet is only one part of radio communication. A real transmission also depends on the right station, call sign, message and applicable phraseology. The FAA Aeronautical Information Manual’s radio section explains broader communication practices.
A practical way to learn it
Practice spelling a short word slowly, checking every letter against the reference. Then try an unfamiliar sequence so that recognition does not depend on guessing the word. Aim for accuracy and clarity rather than speed. If you are learning to fly, practice actual radio use with your instructor so the alphabet becomes part of an appropriate, complete message.