NATO Phonetic Alphabet Translator
Convert text to the NATO phonetic alphabet. Spell names, codes, and numbers with the official Alfa, Bravo, Charlie code words.
Calculator by Toolsloft ↗Turn any word, name, or code into its NATO phonetic alphabet spelling so it cannot be misheard over the phone or radio. Type in a confirmation number or a surname and read back Alfa, Bravo, Charlie instead of guessing at B versus P. It uses the official ICAO and NATO code words.
How this is calculated
Each letter is mapped to its NATO/ICAO code word (Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, and so on, with Alfa, Juliett, and X-ray spelled the standard way) and each digit to its English name. Only letters A to Z and digits 0 to 9 are spelled out; spaces and punctuation are skipped. The code words are joined with single spaces.
How to use
- Type or paste the text you need to spell out.
- Read the NATO code words in the output box.
- Copy the result to share it or read it aloud.
Examples
- Distress call:
SOS → Sierra Oscar Sierra - Letters and a digit:
Zx9 → Zulu X-ray Nine
FAQ
- Which spelling alphabet does this use?
- It uses the NATO phonetic alphabet, also known as the ICAO or international radiotelephony spelling alphabet: Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, through Zulu. Alfa and Juliett use the official spellings, and X is X-ray.
- What happens to spaces and punctuation?
- They are skipped. Only the letters A to Z and the digits 0 to 9 are spelled out, so a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols returns just the code words for the letters and numbers.
- How are numbers handled?
- Each digit is spelled with its plain English name, so 5 becomes Five and 9 becomes Nine.