Radio operators spell letters with code words so they are understood through noise and accents. Amateur radio uses the international (ITU / NATO) phonetic alphabet, the same one used in aviation and at sea.
| Letter | Code 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 |
| Digit | Say it |
|---|---|
| 0 | Zero |
| 1 | One |
| 2 | Two |
| 3 | Three |
| 4 | Four |
| 5 | Five |
| 6 | Six |
| 7 | Seven |
| 8 | Eight |
| 9 | Nine |
Some operators say "niner" for 9, as in aviation, to avoid confusion with similar words.
Give your call sign phonetically when signals are weak or when someone asks for a repeat. For example, the call sign KD9XYZ is spoken "Kilo Delta Niner X-ray Yankee Zulu". FCC rules (§97.119) require you to identify with your call sign at least every 10 minutes during a contact and at the end; using the phonetic alphabet is encouraged but not required.
The Technician exam asks about using the phonetic alphabet, so it is worth learning by heart.