The phonetic alphabet
It's the same international alphabet used in aviation and by the military. Note the spellings Alfa and Juliett, which are written that way so speakers of other languages pronounce them correctly.
- A Alfa
- B Bravo
- C Charlie
- D Delta
- E Echo
- F Foxtrot
- G Golf
- H Hotel
- I India
- J Juliett
- K Kilo
- L Lima
- M Mike
- N November
- O Oscar
- P Papa
- Q Quebec
- R Romeo
- S Sierra
- T Tango
- U Uniform
- V Victor
- W Whiskey
- X X-ray
- Y Yankee
- Z Zulu
Use it to spell your boat's name and call sign, place names, and anything that could be misheard. Say “I spell” first, then spell it.
Numbers on the radio
Numbers are said digit by digit, with a few pronounced differently so they can't be confused:
| Digit | Say |
|---|---|
| 0 | Zero |
| 1 | Wun |
| 2 | Too |
| 3 | Tree |
| 4 | Fow-er |
| 5 | Fife |
| 6 | Six |
| 7 | Sev-en |
| 8 | Ait |
| 9 | Nin-er |
So channel 16 is “wun six”, and a decimal point is “day-see-mal”. Give positions the same way, digit by digit: “fife zero degrees fower zero minutes north”.
Procedure words
| Say | Meaning |
|---|---|
| This is | Comes before your own boat's name. |
| Over | I've finished; I expect a reply. |
| Out | The conversation is finished; no reply expected. |
| Received | I have received your message. |
| Say again | Repeat your message, or the part you name. |
| I spell | I'm about to spell the next word phonetically. |
| Correction | I made a mistake; the correct version follows. |
| Wait | Stand by; I'll come back to you. |
| Radio check | Please tell me how well you're receiving me. |
For which channel to use, see marine VHF channels, and for emergencies, how to send a Mayday or Pan-Pan. The phonetic alphabet shares its letters with the international code flags.