# NATO Phonetic Alphabet > Spell any name or code in the NATO phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie…), hear it word by word, decode code words, practice with quick drills, and print the chart — with the police and WWII alphabets too. - Page: https://linguaholic.com/tools/nato-phonetic-alphabet/ - Type: free online tool (Converters & translators), no sign-up, runs in the browser - Publisher: Linguaholic (https://linguaholic.com/), made by Marcel Iseli - Last updated: October 2, 2026 - Open it pre-filled: https://linguaholic.com/tools/nato-phonetic-alphabet/?text=SOS - `text`: text to spell out in code words (or code words to turn back into text when mode=decode) (for example `Linguaholic`) - `mode`: which tab opens: spell (default), decode or practice (for example `decode`) - `alphabet`: spelling alphabet for the Spell tab: nato (default), police or wwii (for example `police`) ## What is the NATO phonetic alphabet? The **NATO phonetic alphabet** gives every letter a distinct code word — A is **Alpha**, B is **Bravo**, C is **Charlie** — so letters can be spelled clearly over radio or phone, even through noise, accents, or a bad connection. It’s also called the **military alphabet**, the ICAO alphabet, or officially the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet. Pilots, air traffic controllers, ships, armed forces, emergency services, and call centers all use it. ## How to use this tool - **Spell:** type a name, email, or booking code and see it letter by letter in code words, with pronunciations. Switch between the **NATO**, **police**, and **WWII** alphabets. Tap **Listen** to hear it read out word by word, at slow, normal, or fast speed, and copy it as code words, a letter list, or pronunciations. - **Decode:** paste code words (“Sierra Oscar Sierra”) to turn them back into text. It understands all three alphabets and spellings like Alfa, Juliet, and Niner. - **Practice:** four quick drills — letter to code word, code word to letter, spelling real words, and listening. The spelling and listening words come from our English dictionary, so they’re different every time. ## Frequently asked questions **What is the NATO phonetic alphabet?** A spelling alphabet that gives each letter a clear code word — A is Alpha, B is Bravo, C is Charlie — so letters are understood over radio or phone despite noise or accents. Officially it's the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet, used by NATO, aviation, shipping, and the military. **Is the NATO alphabet the same as the military alphabet?** Yes. The 'military alphabet' is the NATO/ICAO phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie…). Armed forces, aviation, and shipping all use this same standard. **How do I spell my name in the phonetic alphabet?** Type your name into the Spell tab and it's spelled out letter by letter — Sam becomes Sierra Alpha Mike. Tap Listen to hear it word by word, or copy it as a letter list. **What is the police phonetic alphabet?** Many US police departments, including the LAPD, use the APCO alphabet: A is Adam, B is Boy, C is Charles, D is David, and so on. Choose Police in the tool to spell in it; the page has a side-by-side chart with NATO. **What was the old military alphabet?** In World War II the US used the Joint Army/Navy alphabet: Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog, Easy, Fox… It was replaced by today's NATO alphabet (Alfa, Bravo, Charlie) in 1956. **How are numbers pronounced in the phonetic alphabet?** Digit by digit, with a few special forms: 3 is 'tree', 4 is 'fower', 5 is 'fife', and 9 is 'niner'. Round numbers use 'hundred' and 'thousand', and a decimal point is 'decimal'. **Is there a printable phonetic alphabet chart?** Yes. Tap Print chart next to the chart and choose the NATO, police, or WWII alphabet for a clean one-page version. **Is this the same as the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)?** No. This is a spelling alphabet (code words for letters). 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