Phonetic Alphabet

Topic Lead: LT J Sim

Target Level: Basic

Objective: Recall the phonetic alphabet

Need: In the NZCF we often operate using field radio telephones. We also use letters of the alphabet as specific identifiers for sections and acronyms. As such you need to know the phonetic alphabet to be able to communicate correctly while on exercise and in and around the unit.

Scope:

• Introduction

• Background

• The Phonetic Alphabet

Date Uploaded: 13/04/20

Background

In the NZCF we use the phonetic alphabet currently in service with the NZ Army. In our case this is known as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet and this is generally considered to be standard internationally. You should be prepared however for some variations between nations and organisations. For the purposes of cadet activity, we follow the NATO system.

The NATO phonetic alphabet uses 26 unique code words and assigns these to each of the 26 letters of the English alphabet. The purpose is to use this to be able to code messages and distribute information more accurately. Each code word starts with the letter it is assigned to in the alphabet.

Lets now look at each of these individually. You should commit these to memory. Have a look at the video below and at the table. Use these tool to remember each codeword and its corresponding letter.