Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta: phonetic alphabets (revised)
Brian...@cl.cam.ac.uk
Phonetic Alphabets (Alpha Bravo etc)
There is a widely known alphabet Alpha Bravo ... Yankee Zulu.
Such alphabets are variously known as phonetic alphabets,
radio alphabets and spelling alphabets. This collection
currently includes alphabets for the following languages:
English, French, German, Dutch, Flemish, Italian,
Rumantsch, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian, Croatian,
Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Chinese and Esperanto.
This posting supersedes the one of 15th December.
Recent new material: Croatian 24 Jan 95
French (Anatole Berthe) 24 Jan 95
Russian (Anna Boris) 15 Dec 94
Esperanto 17 Nov 94
My thanks to the many contributors, not all of whom are
acknowledged below.
I can make no guarantee of accuracy of this information;
indeed please send me any corrections or additions.
In my capacity as the editor of this collection I have no
objection to the further electronic distribution of this
posting in full in circumstances where it is likely to be of
interest.
Comments in square brackets are my own.
Brian Kelk bc...@cl.cam.ac.uk
24 January 1995
***** ENGLISH *****
The NATO phonetic alphabet (as per the Cambridge Encyclopedia
of Language under Seaspeak):
Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf Hotel India
Juliet Kilo Lima Mike November Oscar Papa Quebec Romeo
Sierra Tango Uniform Victor Whiskey Xray Yankee Zulu
[The same alphabet, modulo Alfa and Juliett, is approved by
the International Civil Aviation Organization and the FAA.
The International Telecommunication Union Phonetics list
has: Alfa, Juliette, Oscar/Oskar, Victor/Viktor.
Dates from about 1956.
UK police use Indigo instead of India (?)]
Telecom B:
Alfred Benjamin Charles David Edward Frederick George Harry
Isaac Jack King London Mary Nellie Oliver Peter Queen Robert
Samuel Tommy Uncle Victor William Xray Yellow Zebra
[Found in Swedish, Dutch, Hungarian telephone directories.
A Swiss directory has: Andrew Charlie Lussy Queenie Sugar]
British A:
Amsterdam Baltimore Casablanca Denmark Edison Florida
Gallipoli Havana Italia Jerusalem Kilogramme Liverpool
Madagascar New_York Oslo Paris Quebec Roma Santiago Tripoli
Uppsala Valencia Washington Xantippe Yokohama Zurich
[An 'international' alphabet in a Dutch telephone directory
has: Danemark. A 'French' alphabet in a Hungarian directory
has: Cassablanka Danemark Que'bec Upsala Zu"rich]
Used by police in New York City:
Adam Boy Charlie David Edward Frank George Henry Ida John
King Lincoln Mary Nora Ocean Peter Queen Robert Sam Tom
Union Victor William X-ray Young Zebra
[Variants: Eddie Larry Nancy Thomas Yankee Yellow]
Used by police in Nassau County, Long Island, New York:
Adam Boston Chicago Denver Edward Frank George Henry Ida
John King Lincoln Mary Nancy Ocean Peter Queen Robert Sam
Thomas Union Victor William X-ray Young Zebra
Used by police in San Diego, California:
Adam Boy Charles David Edward Frank George Henry Ida John
King Lincoln Mary Nora Ocean Paul Queen Robert Sam Tom Unit
Victor William Xray Yellow Zebra
Used by police in Hutchinson, Kansas:
Adam Boy Charles David Edward Frank George Henry Ida John
King Lincoln Mary Nora Ocean Paul Q.. Robert Sam Tom Union
Victor William X-ray Yankee Zebra
Sometimes used by radio hams (unofficial):
America Boston Canada Denmark England France Germany
Honolulu India Japan Kilowatt London Mexico Norway Ontario
or Ocean Pacific Quebec Radio Santiago or Spain Tokyo United
Victoria Washington Xray Yokohama Zanzibar
[Much variation: Amsterdam, Brazil, Baltimore, Chile,
Finland, Greece, Guatemala, Hawaii, Italy, Kentucky,
Luxembourg, Nicaragua, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Texas,
Uruguay, Venezuela, Whisky, Zulu]
The ARRL (American Radio Relay League) alphabet (1948):
Adam Baker Charlie David Edward Frank George Henry Ida John
king Lewis Mary Nancy Otto Peter queen Robert Susan Thomas
union Victor William x-ray young zebra
[Nowadays the ARRL endorses the NATO/ICAO alphabet]
Allied Services 1945:
Able Baker Charlie Dog Edward Fox George How Item Jig King
Love Mike Nan Oboe Peter Queen Roger Sugar Tape Uncle Victor
William X-ray Yoke Zebra
From a book entitled "The Complete Morse Instructor..." (1944):
able baker charlie dog easy fox george how item jig king
love mike nan oboe peter queen roger sugar tare uncle victor
william x-ray yoke zebra
[The same alphabet is described as "Used by Armed services of
USA & GB" in the ARRL 1945 Handbook. Entries cited in variants
of this alphabet: affirm, cast, hypo, inter, negat, option,
over, prep]
Western Union:
Adams Boston Chicago Denver Easy Frank George Henry Ida John
King Lincoln Mary New_York Ocean Peter Queen Roger Sugar
Thomas Union Victor William X-ray Young Zero
British Army 1927:
Ack Beer Charlie Don Edward Freddy George Harry Ink Johnnie
King London Monkey Nuts Orange Pip Queen Robert Sugar Toc
Uncle Vic William X-ray Yorker Zebra
Royal Navy 1917:
Apples Butter Charlie Duff Edward Freddy George Harry Ink
Johnnie King London Monkey Nuts Orange Pudding Queenie
Robert Sugar Tommy Uncle Vinegar Willie Xerxes Yellow Zebra
U.S. Army 1916:
Able Buy Cast Dock Easy Fox George Have Item Jig King Love
Mike Nap Opal Pup Quack Rush Sail Tape Unit Vice Watch X-ray
Yoke Zed
***** FRENCH *****
Contributor: Erik Tjong Kim Sang <er...@let.rug.nl>
anatole bernard c'ecile denise 'emile fran5cois g'erard
henri isidore jean kl'eber louis marcel nicole oscar pierre
quital robert suzanne th'er`ese ursule victor wagon xavier
yvonne zo'e
Contributor: Rudolf Lais <chib...@ibmmail.com>
(Swiss telephone directory)
Anna Berthe Ce'cile Daniel Emile Franc,ois Gustave Henri Ida
Jeanne Kilo Louise Marie Nicolas Olga Paul Quittance Robert
Suzanne The're`se Ulysse Victor William Xavier Yvonne Zurich
(vocabulary book)
Anatole Berthe Ce'sar De'sire' Euge`ne E'mile Franc,ois
Gaston Henri Irma Joseph Kle'ber Louis Marcel Nicolas Oscar
Pierre Que'bec Robert Suzanne The're`se Ursule Victor
William Xavier Yvonne Zoe'
***** GERMAN *****
Contributor: mr...@eso.org (Michael Rosa)
Anton Berta Caesar Dora Emil Friedrich Gustav Heinrich Ida
Julius Karl Ludwig Martha Nordpol Otto Paula Quelle Richard
Siegfried Theodor Ulrich Viktor Wilhelm Xanthippe Ypsilon
Zeppelin
Umlaut: A"rger O"dipus U"bel
More recent replacements: Konrad Zacharias
Contributor: Erik Tjong Kim Sang <er...@let.rug.nl>
anton bertha c"asar dora emil friederich gustav heinrich ida
julius kaufmann ludwig martha nordpol otto paula quelle
richard samuel theodor ulrich viktor wilhelm xanthippe
ypsilon zacharias
"a "arger
ch charlotte
"o "okonom
sch schule
"u "ubermut
Contributor: Rudolf Lais <chib...@ibmmail.com>
(Swiss telephone directory)
Anna Bertha Caesar Daniel Emil Friedrich Gustav Heinrich Ida
Jakob Kaiser Leopold Marie Niklaus Otto Peter Quelle Rosa
Sophie Theodor Ulrich Viktor Wilhelm Xaver Yverdon Zuerich
Contributor: Christof A Neumann <neu...@informatik.tu-muenchen.de>
(issued by Deutsche Bundespost)
Anton Bertha Caesar Dora Emil Friedrich Gustav Heinrich Ida
Jakob Konrad Ludwig Martha Nordpol Otto Paula Quelle Richard
Siegfried Theodor Ulrich Viktor Wilhelm Xantippe Ypsilon
Zeppelin
sch Schule
Contributor: Steve Dunham <dun...@gdl.msu.edu>
Anton Berta Caesar Dora Emil Friedrich Gustav Heinrich Ida
Johann Kaufmann Ludwig Martha Nordpol Otto Paula quer
Richard Siegfried Theodor Ulrich Viktor Wilhelm Xaver
Ypsilon Zeppelin
ss Eszett
(vocabulary book)
Anton Berta Ca"sar Dora Emil Friedrich Gustav Heinrich Ida
Julius Konrad Ludwig Martin Nordpol Otto Paula Quelle
Richard Siegfried Theodor Ulrich Viktor Wilhelm Xanten
Ypsilon Zeppelin
A"rger O"konom U"bel
Contributor: Anno Siegel <anno...@w172zrz.zrz.TU-Berlin.DE>
Arno Borvaselin Coburg-Gotha Doria Ernst Friedrichsroda
Gomorrha Herrenzimmer Ida Jawohl_Odol Kolberg_Ost Leonidas
Motor Nora Oekonom Per_Motorrad Quohnsdorf_bei_Forst
Revolver Sabine Tod Uniform Verbrennungstod Weltnordpol
Xolabaphon York_Yellowstone Zoroaster
oe Oekonomie
ue Ueberkonto
[This alphabet provides mnemonics for Morse code: a syllable
corresponds to a dash if it contains 'o', a dot otherwise.]
***** DUTCH *****
Contributor: Erik Tjong Kim Sang <er...@let.rug.nl>
anna bernhard cornelis dirk eduard ferdinand gerard hendrik
izaak jan karel lodewijk marie nico otto pieter quotient
rudolf simon teunis utrecht victor willem xantippe
ij: ijmuiden ypsilon zaandam
***** FLEMISH *****
Contributor: Erik Tjong Kim Sang <er...@let.rug.nl>
arthur brussel carolina desire emiel frederik gustaaf
hendrik isidoor jozef kilogram leopold maria napoleon oscar
piano qualite robert sofie telefoon ursula victor waterloo
xavier yvonne zola
***** ITALIAN *****
Contributor: eb...@sed.csc.com (Elizabeth Buie)
eb...@starlab.csc.com
Ancona, Bologna, Como, Domodossola, Empoli, Firenze, Genova,
Hacca, Imola, Jolly, Kappa, Livorno, Milano, Napoli,
Otranto, Pisa/Palermo, Quartomiglio, Roma, Savona/Siena,
Torino, Udine, Venezia, Wagner, Xilofono, York, Zara
Contributor: Rudolf Lais <chib...@ibmmail.com>
(Swiss telephone directory)
Anna Battista Carol Davide Ernesto Federico Giovanni acca
Isidoro i_lungo cappa Luigi Maria Nicola Olga Pietro
Quintino Rodolfo Susanna Teresa Umberto Vittorio vu_doppia
ics ipsilon Zurigo
***** RUMANTSCH *****
[aka Romansh, Roumansh, Rumansh]
Contributor: Rudolf Lais <chib...@ibmmail.com>
(Swiss telephone directory)
Anna Berta Carla Dora Emil Flurin Guido Hugo Ida Judit Kilo
Luisa Maria Nesa Otto Paula Quirin Rita Silvia Toni Ursin
Victor Willi Xaver Yvonne Zita
***** SLOVAK *****
Contributor: Martin Votruba <votr...@pitt.edu>
(telephone directory)
Adam, Boz~ena, Cyril, C~adca, Da'vid, D~umbier, Emil,
Frantis~ek, Gusta'v, Helena, CHrudim, Ivan, Karol, Ludvi'k,
L~ubochn~a, Ma'ria, Norbert, N~ - Nitra, Oto, Peter, Quido,
Rudolf, Sva"topluk, S~imon, Toma's~, T~ - Tepla', Urban,
Va'clav, W - dvojite' ve', Xaver, Ypsilon, Zuzana, Z~ofia
***** POLISH *****
Contributor: Michal Jankowski <mic...@fuw.edu.pl>
(Warsaw telephone directory)
Adam Barbara Celina Danuta Ewa Franciszek Genowefa Henryk
Irena Jadwiga Karol Leon L/ukasz Maria Natalia Olga Pawel/
Roman Stanisl/aw Tadeusz Urszula Wl/adysl/aw Xantypa Ygrek
Zygmunt
Contributor: Gyo:ngyo:si Jo'zsef <gyon...@bpsof.enet.dec.com>
(used by radio hams)
Adam, Bozena, Celina, Dawid, Ewa, Franek, Grazyna, Henryk,
Irena, Janusz, Kilo, Ludwik, Maria, Natalia, Olga, Pawel/,
Quido, Roman, Stefan, Tomasz, Urban, Violeta, Wanda, Xawer,
Y-grek, Zygmunt
***** HUNGARIAN *****
(telephone directory)
Andra's Be'la Cecil Do'ra Eleme'r Ferenc Gizella Hajnalka
Istva'n Ja'nos Katalin Luca Ma'tya's Na'ndor Olga Piroska
Queen Ro'bert Sarolta Ti'mea Ubul Vilmos Walter Xe'nia
Ypsilon Zolta'n
Contributor: Gyo:ngyo:si Jo'zsef <gyon...@bpsof.enet.dec.com>
(used by radio hams)
Antal, Be'la, Cecil (Ce'za'r), De'nes, Eleme'r, Ferenc,
Ge'za, Hele'n, Ibolya (Imre), Ja'nos, Ka'roly, La'szlo',
Ma'ria, Nelli, Olga, Pe'ter, Kvelle, Ro'bert, Sa'ndor,
Tama's, Ubul, Viktor (Vilmos), dupla-ve' (dupla-Vilmos,
"viszki"), "x-es", "ipszilon" (jenki), Zolta'n.
***** CROATIAN *****
Contributor: Ivan.D...@gbcon.g-box.fido.hr (Ivan Drzanic)
Adria, Biokovo, Cavtat, Dubrovnik, Europa, Frankopan,
Gospic, Hrvatska, Istra, Jadran, Karlovac, Lika, Mostar,
Novska, Osijek, Pula, Q, Rijeka, Split, Trgoir, Ucka,
Vukovar, W, X, Zagreb
***** SWEDISH *****
Contributors: si...@dront.nada.kth.se (Simon Tardell)
Jonas Wallgren <j...@ida.liu.se>
m8...@sparc2.abc.se (Thomas Green)
Adam, Bertil, Cesar, David, Erik, Filip, Gustav, Helge,
Ivar, Johan, Kalle, Ludvig, Martin, Niklas, Olof, Petter,
Quintus, Rudolf, Sigurd, Tore, Urban, Viktor, Wilhelm,
Xerxes, Yngve, Z{ta, ]ke, [rlig, \sten
where { is a with dots
] A with ring
[ A with dots
\ O with dots
Sometimes used: Fredrik, Olle, Rikard
Stockholm police use Kryss (meaning cross) for X.
***** FINNISH *****
Contributor: Jukka Rahkonen <jrah...@viikki.helsinki.fi>
Aarne Bertta Celsius Daavid Eemeli Faarao Gideon Heikki
Iivari Jussi Kalle Lauri Matti Niilo Otto Paavo Kuu Risto
Sakari Tyyne Urho Ville Viski [ks{ Yrj| Tseta ]ke [iti \ljy
Uppercase Lowercase
] } a with circle (Swedish)
[ { a with dots
\ | o with dots
***** RUSSIAN *****
Contributor: t...@systemtechnik.tu-ilmenau.de (Thomas Planke)
Aleksej Boris Vasilij Grigorij Dmitrij Elena Zhenja Zoya
Ivan Ivan_Kratkij Kilowatt Leonid Maria Nikolai Olga Pavel
Roman Sergej Tatjana Uljana Fjodor Hariton Zaplja Chelovek
Shura Schuka Tviordiy_Znak Igrek Miagkiy_Znak Emilija Yuri
Jakow
Contributor: "Oleg.A.Chernozyomov" <ro...@aprmk.saratov.su>
(currently used in amateur radio)
Anna Boris Vasiliy Galina Dmitriy Yelena Yozh Zhuk Zinaida
Ivan Ivan_Kratkiy Konstantin Leonid Maria Nikolay Olga Pavel
Roman Sergey Tamara Ul'yana Fyodor Hariton Tsentr Chelovek
Shura Shchyuka Tvyordy_Znak Yery Myagkiy_Znak Ekho Yuliana
Yakov
Variants: Anton Grigoriy Yolka Zhenya Zoya Irina/Igor Yot
Kilowatt Lyubov Mikhail Nadezhda/Nina Oleg Polina Radio
Semyon Tatyana Tsaplya Znak/Iks Igrek Znak/Iks
Used informally: Borya Vasya Grisha Galya Dima Zina Kostya
Kolya Lyonya Lyuba Misha Masha Nadya Pasha Roma Sasha Tanya
Fedya Yulya Yasha
Morse code is as follows:
A B W G D E E V Z I J K L M N O P R S T
U F H C /- - -./- - - -/ Q X Y X /..-../..- -/.-.-
and the same mapping provides a system of phonetics for
Roman letters (used in parallel with Alpha Bravo). [The
mapping is similar to KOI-7 but not identical]
***** CHINESE *****
The Chinese armed forces use the following in connection
with Romanised Mandarin:
Aiya Boli Ciqi Desheng Egu Fuzhuang Geming Heping I: Yifu
J.. Keren Leguan Mofan Nali Ouyang Polang Q.. Riguang
Sixiang Tebie U: Weida V: Wudao W: Wuzhuang X.. Yisheng
Zidian
***** ESPERANTO *****
Contributor: KNA...@VKPMZD.kph.Uni-Mainz.DE
(Yearbook of the Universal Esperanto Association 1959)
Asfalto Barbaro Centimetro \^Cefo Doktoro Elemento Fabriko
Gumo \^Girafo Hotelo \^Haoso Insekto Jubileo \^Jurnalo
Kilogramo Legendo Ma\^sino Naturo Omnibuso Papero Rekordo
Salato \^Silingo Triumfo Universo Universo-hoko Vulkano
Zinko
Non esperanto letters:
q = kuo
w = \^germana vo
x = ikso
y = ipsilono
***** END *****
Brian Kelk
Cambridge
U.K.
bc...@cl.cam.ac.uk
Donald Fisk
<deleted>
I'd like the one where the words are spelt with the correct letter but
are pronounced completely differently, e.g.
Bdellium
Honour
Knight
Jojoba
Mnemonic
Psychology
Qi
Wreck
Yttrium
Zeitgeist
--
Le Hibou (mo bheachd fhe/in:my own opinion) Email: don...@info.bt.co.uk
"England's not a bad country ... it's just a mean, cold, ugly, divided,
tired, clapped out, post-imperial, post-industrial slag-heap covered in
polystyrene hamburger cartons." -- Margaret Drabble.
Richard Sabey
>I'd like the one where the words are spelt with the correct letter but
>are pronounced completely differently, e.g.
>Bdellium [...]
aisle bdellium ctenoid djellaba eider f? gnaw heir iero jojoba know llareta
mnemonic Nzi oestrus psychic qi r? sure tmesis uitlander vlei wry Xhosa
yttric zeitgeist
Donald Fisk contributed some of the above. Some are contentious. Is the A in
"aisle" silent, or is it that the "a" and "i" are both pronounced
collectively as the "i" in "isle" is? If you think the latter, then do you
count that as a "completely different" pronunciation of A? Different from
what? Different from the usual pronunciations? Which are they?
Mike Gathergood
> "England's not a bad country ... it's just a mean, cold, ugly, divided,
> tired, clapped out, post-imperial, post-industrial slag-heap covered in
> polystyrene hamburger cartons." -- Margaret Drabble.
You must work at Anzani House - nobody else could be that cynical!
Jon Livesey
There's a lot of money to be made being cynical for a living
in the UK. It's also an easy way to feign wisdom.
jon.
J.M.King
>> "England's not a bad country ... it's just a mean, cold, ugly, divided,
>> tired, clapped out, post-imperial, post-industrial slag-heap covered in
>> polystyrene hamburger cartons." -- Margaret Drabble.
>
Didn't they make her a Dame? That was a bad decision!
James.
Jon Livesey
Not really. A great country ought to be able to take a great
deal of slagging, and still hand out honours for significant
achievement. I don't think we want to kind of McCarthyism
that got peoples careers ruined for what they said.
jon.
Philip Morgan
Philip
CARDIFF
Where's Tony Pritchard these days???
Erik Terwiel
>Xref: sun4nl alt.usage.english:45559 rec.radio.amateur.misc:57074 sci.lang:20942
>Path:
>sun4nl!EU.net!news.kreonet.re.kr!overload.lbl.gov!lll-winken.llnl.gov!enews.sgi.
>com!fido.asd.sgi.com!solntze.engr.sgi.com!livesey
>From: liv...@solntze.engr.sgi.com (Jon Livesey)
>Newsgroups: alt.usage.english,sci.lang,rec.radio.amateur.misc
>Subject: Re: Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta: phonetic alphabets (revised)
>Date: 30 Jan 1995 22:12:10 GMT
>Organization: sgi
>Lines: 15
>Distribution: world
>Message-ID: <3gjo7q$l...@fido.asd.sgi.com>
>References: <3g3qeu$c...@lyra.csx.cam.ac.uk>
><3g8rod$f...@pheidippides.axion.bt.co.uk> <791326...@g4kfk.demon.co.uk>
><92...@raven.ukc.ac.uk>
>NNTP-Posting-Host: solntze.engr.sgi.com
>jon.
Well, The usa is headed in that same direction since Reagan, is it not ?
Read Noam Chomsky and you'll know.
E.H. Terwiel, Utrecht Holland
e-mail : E.H.Terwiel&inter.NL.net
Geoff Butler
Phi...@pmorgan.demon.co.uk "Philip Morgan" writes:
> ......and not forgetting Bernard Shaw's 'ghoti' pronounced 'fish'.
Ah yes: 'gh' as in 'through',
'o' as in 'people',
't' as in 'castle',
'i' as in 'plaice'.
So 'ghoti' is pronounced ''.
Geoff Butler
Geoff Butler
r...@swindon.gpsemi.com "Richard Sabey" writes:
> aisle bdellium ctenoid djellaba eider f? gnaw heir iero jojoba know llareta
> mnemonic Nzi oestrus psychic qi r? sure tmesis uitlander vlei wry Xhosa
> yttric zeitgeist
Nice set, but I prefer 'eye' to 'eider' and 'you' or 'yew' to 'yttric'.
Geoff Butler
Meehan D. N. (Nathan)
--
_______________________________________________________________________
A priest asked: What is Fate, Master?
And he answered:
It is that which gives a beast of burden its reason for existence.
It is that which men in former times had to bear upon their backs.
It is that which has caused nations to build byways from City to City
upon which carts and coaches pass, and alongside which inns have come
to be built to stave off Hunger, Thirst and Weariness.
And that is Fate? said the priest.
Fate ... I thought you said Freight, responded the Master.
That's all right, said the priest. I wanted to know what
Freight was too.
-- Kehlog Albran, "The Profit"
_______________________________________________________________________