About the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
Convert names, codes and reference numbers into the NATO phonetic alphabet so they can be spelled clearly over the phone or radio, or decode NATO words back into text.
Key features
- Spell any text in the NATO / ICAO phonetic alphabet
- Convert NATO words back into letters and numbers
- Automatic direction detection
- Digits included (Niner for 9)
- Space, dash or one word per line
- Accented letters converted to their base letter
Spell it out clearly
Letters like B, D, P and V, or M and N, sound alike over the phone. The NATO phonetic alphabet gives each letter a distinct code word, so "B as in Bravo" can't be misheard. Type text to spell it out, or paste code words to turn them back into letters.
The alphabet
| Letter | Code word | Letter | Code word |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Alfa | N | November |
| B | Bravo | O | Oscar |
| C | Charlie | P | Papa |
| D | Delta | Q | Quebec |
| E | Echo | R | Romeo |
| F | Foxtrot | S | Sierra |
| G | Golf | T | Tango |
| H | Hotel | U | Uniform |
| I | India | V | Victor |
| J | Juliett | W | Whiskey |
| K | Kilo | X | X-ray |
| L | Lima | Y | Yankee |
| M | Mike | Z | Zulu |
Numbers
| Digit | Word | Digit | Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Zero | 5 | Five |
| 1 | One | 6 | Six |
| 2 | Two | 7 | Seven |
| 3 | Three | 8 | Eight |
| 4 | Four | 9 | Niner |
Example
Booking reference XU7B2K:
X-ray Uniform Seven Bravo Two Kilo
Tips for reading codes aloud
- Group long codes in threes or fours and pause between groups.
- Say "capital" before uppercase letters only when case matters (passwords).
- Ask the listener to read it back.
Related tools
Try Morse Code for another classic alphabet, or Number to Words to spell out numbers.
How to use the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
- Type or paste your text into the input box.
- Choose the options you want.
- The result updates instantly as you type.
- Copy the output or download it as a .txt file.