The phonetic alphabet
| Letters | Words |
|---|---|
| A–F | Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot |
| G–L | Golf, Hotel, India, Juliet, Kilo, Lima |
| M–R | Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo |
| S–X | Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray |
| Y–Z | Yankee, Zulu |
W4JUM is said 'Whiskey Four Juliet Uniform Mike'.
Radio words
Copy
I heard and understood
Over
I'm done; your turn
Clear
I'm finished and leaving the frequency
Say again
Please repeat
Clear speech
Do
- Hold the mic a few inches away
- Pause a second after pressing PTT
- Spell names phonetically
Avoid
- Shouting into the mic
- Cute made-up phonetics
- Ten-codes and slang
Sources: ITU phonetic alphabet; ARRL operating practice
Remember
Use the standard phonetic alphabet and plain words; clarity beats speed.
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Answer key
- How is the letter W said phonetically?WhiskeyW is Whiskey.
- What does 'copy' mean?I heard and understoodCopy means received and understood.
- What does 'clear' mean at the end?I'm finished and leaving the frequencyClear means you're done.
- Which word means 'please repeat'?Say again'Say again' asks for a repeat.
- Why pause after pressing PTT?So the first word isn't cut offRadios and repeaters need a moment to start transmitting.