NATO Phonetic Alphabet Translator
Convert text to the NATO phonetic alphabet. Spell names, codes, and numbers with the official Alfa, Bravo, Charlie code words.
Independently verified for accuracy
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.