Type any word, name, or code and instantly see it spelled out in the NATO phonetic alphabet - Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, and the rest. Use it to spell names and reference numbers clearly over the phone or radio, to learn the alphabet, or as a quick reference table. You can show the spelling inline or one word per line, and even have your browser read the code words aloud. Everything runs privately in your browser.
The NATO phonetic alphabet is a set of 26 code words - one for each letter of the English alphabet - that lets people spell things out clearly over voice channels. Instead of saying the ambiguous letters B and D, which sound almost identical on a crackly phone line, you say Bravo and Delta, which cannot be confused. Its formal name is the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet, and it is the standard used by NATO, by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for aviation, and by the ITU for telecommunications.
The full set runs Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliett, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, and Zulu. The words were chosen and tested so that speakers of many different languages could pronounce and recognise them, which is why a couple are respelled - Alfa with an f and Juliett with a double t. Digits have spoken forms too, including the well-known Niner for nine.
Type or paste any text into the box on the left - a name, a postcode, a booking reference, or a serial number. The phonetic spelling appears instantly on the right. Each letter is replaced by its code word regardless of case, each digit becomes its spoken number, and spaces between words are shown as a (space) marker so you know where one word ends. Switch on Show as list to get one code word per line, which is handy when reading slowly to someone, or leave it off for a compact inline result. Tick Read out letters to have your browser speak the code words aloud using built-in speech synthesis. Press Copy to grab the result or Clear to start again.
Pilots and air traffic controllers use the phonetic alphabet constantly for call signs, runway identifiers, and clearances, where a single misheard letter could be dangerous. The military relies on it for radio traffic and map references. Closer to everyday life, call-centre agents, IT support, banks, and emergency dispatchers use it to confirm names, account numbers, and codes without error. It is also the quickest way to spell your own name over the phone - say "Sierra, Alfa, Mike" and there is no doubt you mean Sam. Anyone reading out a confirmation code, licence plate, or password reset reference can avoid the classic "was that an M or an N?" back-and-forth.
The complete A-Z mapping plus the spoken forms for the digits 0 to 9 are shown below. This is the official ICAO and NATO standard, so you can use it as a printable reference for learning or for keeping by the phone.
| Letter | Code word |
|---|
| Letter | Code word |
|---|
| Digit | Spoken form |
|---|
Everything runs locally. Your text never leaves your device - all translation happens in your browser with JavaScript, so nothing is uploaded, logged, or tracked. The optional read-aloud uses your browser's own speech engine. Refresh the page and your data is gone.