Editing NATO phonetic alphabet (section)

===Tables===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Timeline in development of the ICAO/ITU-R radiotelephony spelling alphabet
!scope="col"| Letter
!scope="col"| 1920 UECU<ref name="Draft-of-Convention-and-Regulations-1921" />
!scope="col"| 1927 (Washington, D.C.) International Radiotelegraph Convention (CCIR)<ref name="itu1927"/>
!scope="col"| 1932 General Radiocommunication and Additional Regulations (CCIR/ICAN)<ref name="Don">{{Cite web|url=https://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/2012/media/NovDec2012Translation.pdf|title=(Don't Get) Lost in Translation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216163555/https://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/2012/media/NovDec2012Translation.pdf|archive-date=16 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Alcorn">{{Cite web|url=http://www.qsl.net/wd8das/RadioCodes.pdf|title=Radiotelegraph and Radiotelephone Codes, Prowords And Abbreviations|last=Alcorn|first=John|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603053050/http://www.qsl.net/wd8das/RadioCodes.pdf|archive-date=3 June 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
!scope="col"| 1938 (Cairo) International Radiocommunication Conference code words<ref name="itu1938"/>
!scope="col"| 1947 (Atlantic City) International Radio Conference<ref>{{cite web |title=International Radio Conference (Atlantic City, 1947) |url=http://handle.itu.int/11.1004/020.1000/4.62 |publisher=International Telecommunication Union |access-date=28 January 2019 |archive-date=1 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701182658/https://www.itu.int/en/history/Pages/RadioConferences.aspx?conf=4.62 |url-status=live}}</ref>
!scope="col"| 1947 ICAO (from 1943 US&ndash;UK)<ref name="Myers-1945">{{Cite book|title=CCBP 3-2: Combined Radiotelephone (R/T) Procedure|last1=Myers|first1=G. B.|last2=Charles|first2=B. P.|date=14 February 1945|publisher=Combined Communications Board|location=Washington, D.C.|pages=1–2}}</ref>
<ref name="FM-24">{{Cite web|url=http://www.n7cfo.com/tgph/Dwnlds/sigcorps/FM24-12.pdf|title=FM 24-12,:Army Extract of Combined Operating Signals (CCBP 2-2)|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201041642/http://www.n7cfo.com/tgph/Dwnlds/sigcorps/FM24-12.pdf|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Alcorn"/>
!scope="col"| 1947 ICAO alphabet (from ARRL{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}<!--the ref only says this happened, but doesn't give the code words-->)<ref name="Item-48-in-the-Friedman-Collection">{{Cite web|url=http://marshallfoundation.org/library/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2014/09/Friedman_Collection_Guide_September_2014.pdf|title=Item 48 in the Friedman Collection: Letter from Everett Conder to William F. Friedman, February 11, 1952.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160722003444/http://marshallfoundation.org/library/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2014/09/Friedman_Collection_Guide_September_2014.pdf|archive-date=22 July 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>
!scope="col"| 1947 ICAO Latin America/Caribbean<ref name="The-Evolution-and-Rationale-of-the-ICAO" />
!scope="col"| 1947 IATA proposal to ICAO<ref name="The-Evolution-and-Rationale-of-the-ICAO" />
!scope="col"| 1949 ICAO code words<ref name="The-Evolution-and-Rationale-of-the-ICAO">{{Cite web|url=https://www.governmentattic.org/4docs/ICAO-WordSpellingAlphabet_1959.pdf|title=The Evolution and Rationale of the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) Word-Spelling Alphabet, July 1959|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310112903/http://www.governmentattic.org/4docs/ICAO-WordSpellingAlphabet_1959.pdf|archive-date=10 March 2016|url-status=live|access-date=1 November 2017}}</ref>
!scope="col"| 1951 ICAO code words<ref name="The-Week-2016" />
!scope="col"| 1956 ICAO final code words<ref name="International-Civil-Aviation-Organization-2016" />
!scope="col"| 1959 (Geneva) ITU Administrative Radio Conference code words<ref name="International-Telecommunication-Union-1959">{{Cite book |url=http://search.itu.int/history/HistoryDigitalCollectionDocLibrary/4.85.43.en.100.pdf |title=Radio Regulations; Additional Radio Regulations; Additional Protocol; Resolutions and Recommendations |publisher=International Telecommunication Union |pages=430, 607 |date=1959 |location=Geneva |access-date=23 January 2019 |ref={{harvid|Radio Regulations|1959}} |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107031456/http://search.itu.int/history/HistoryDigitalCollectionDocLibrary/4.85.43.en.100.pdf |archive-date=7 November 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
!scope="col"| 1959 ITU pronunciations<ref name="International-Telecommunication-Union-1959" />
!scope="col"| 2008–present ICAO code words<ref name="International-Civil-Aviation-Organization-2016" />
!2005–present IMO pronunciations (English)<ref name="International-Maritime-Organisation" />
!2005–present IMO pronunciations (French)<ref name="International-Maritime-Organisation" />
! scope="col" | 2008–present ICAO pronunciations<ref name="International-Civil-Aviation-Organization-2016" />
!scope="col"| 2018–present NATO pronunciations<ref name="OTAN" />
|-
!scope="row"| A
|Argentine
|Amsterdam
|Amsterdam
|Amsterdam
|Amsterdam
|ABLE
|ADAM
|ANA
|ALPHA
|'''Alfa'''
|'''Alfa'''
|'''Alfa'''
|Alfa
|<u>AL</u> FAH
|Alfa
|'''AL''' FAH
|'''AL''' FAH
|<u>AL</u> FAH
| al-fah
|-
!scope="row"| B
|Brussels
|Baltimore
|Baltimore
|Baltimore
|Baltimore
|BAKER
|BAKER
|BRAZIL
|BETA
|Beta
|'''Bravo'''
|'''Bravo'''
|Bravo
|<u>BRAH</u> VOH
|Bravo
|'''BRAH''' VO
|'''BRA''' VO
|<u>BRAH</u> VOH
| brah-voh
|-
!scope="row"| C
|Canada
|Canada
|Casablanca
|Casablanca
|Casablanca
|'''CHARLIE'''
|'''CHARLIE'''
|COCO
|'''CHARLIE'''
|Coca
|Coca
|'''Charlie'''
|Charlie
|<u>CHAR</u> LEE ''or'' <u>SHAR</u> LEE
|Charlie
|'''CHAR''' LEE (''or'' '''SHAR''' LEE)
|'''TCHAH''' LI (''ou'' '''CHAR''' LI)
|<u>CHAR</u> LEE ''or'' <u>SHAR</u> LEE
| char-lee
|-
!scope="row"| D
|Damascus
|Denmark
|Danemark
|Danemark
|Danemark
|DOG
|DAVID
|DADO
|'''DELTA'''
|'''Delta'''
|'''Delta'''
|'''Delta'''
|Delta
|<u>DELL</u> TAH
|Delta
|'''DELL''' TAH
|'''DEL''' TAH
|<u>DELL</u> TAH
| dell-tah
|-
!scope="row"| E
|Ecuador
|Eddystone
|Edison
|Edison
|Edison
|EASY
|EDWARD
|ELSA
|EDWARD
|'''Echo'''
|'''Echo'''
|'''Echo'''
|Echo
|<u>ECK</u> OH
|Echo
|'''ECK''' O
|'''EK''' O
|<u>ECK</u> OH
| eck-oh
|-
!scope="row"| F
|France
|Francisco
|Florida
|Florida
|Florida
|'''''FOX'''''
|FREDDIE
|FIESTA
|'''''FOX'''''
|'''Foxtrot'''
|'''Foxtrot'''
|'''Foxtrot'''
|Foxtrot
|<u>FOKS</u> TROT
|Foxtrot
|'''FOKS''' TROT
|'''FOX''' TROTT
|<u>FOKS</u> TROT
| foks-trot
|-
!scope="row"| G
|Greece
|Gibraltar
|Gallipoli
|Gallipoli
|Gallipoli
|GEORGE
|GEORGE
|GATO
|GRAMMA
|'''Golf'''
|Gold
|'''Golf'''
|Golf
|GOLF
|Golf
|GOLF
|GOLF
|GOLF
| golf
|-
!scope="row"| H
|Hanover
|Hanover
|Havana
|Havana
|Havana
|HOW
|HARRY
|HOMBRE
|HAVANA
|'''Hotel'''
|'''Hotel'''
|'''Hotel'''
|Hotel
|HOH <u>TELL</u>
|Hotel
|HOH '''TELL'''
|HO '''TÈLL'''
|HO <u>TELL</u>
| hoh-tel
|-
!scope="row"| I
|Italy
|Italy
|Italia
|Italia
|Italia
|ITEM
|IDA
|'''INDIA'''
|ITALY
|'''India'''
|'''India'''
|'''India'''
|India
|<u>IN</u> DEE AH
|India
|'''IN''' DEE AH
|'''IN''' DI AH
|<u>IN</u> DEE AH
| in-dee-ah
|-
!scope="row"| J
|Japan
|Jerusalem
|Jérusalem
|Jérusalem
|Jerusalem
|JIG
|JOHN
|JULIO
|JUPITER
|'''''Julietta'''''
|'''Juliett'''
|'''Juliett'''
|Juliett
|<u>JEW</u> LEE <u>ETT</u>
|Juliett
|'''JEW''' LEE '''ETT'''
|'''DJOU''' LI '''ÈTT'''
|<u>JEW</u> LEE <u>ETT</u>
| jew-lee-ett
|-
!scope="row"| K
|Khartoum
|Kimberley
|'''''Kilogramme'''''
|'''''Kilogramme'''''
|'''''Kilogramme'''''
|KING
|KING
|'''KILO'''
|'''KILO'''
|'''Kilo'''
|'''Kilo'''
|'''Kilo'''
|Kilo
|<u>KEY</u> LOH
|Kilo
|'''KEY''' LOH
|'''KI''' LO
|<u>KEY</u> LOH
| key-loh
|-
!scope="row"| L
|'''Lima'''
|Liverpool
|Liverpool
|Liverpool
|Liverpool
|LOVE
|LEWIS
|LUIS
|LITER
|'''Lima'''
|'''Lima'''
|'''Lima'''
|Lima
|<u>LEE</u> MAH
|Lima
|'''LEE''' MAH
|'''LI''' MAH
|<u>LEE</u> MAH
| lee-mah
|-
!scope="row"| M
|Madrid
|Madagascar
|Madagascar
|Madagascar
|Madagascar
|'''MIKE'''
|MARY
|MAMA
|MAESTRO
|Metro
|Metro
|'''Mike'''
|Mike
|MIKE
|Mike
|MIKE
|'''MA''' ÏK
|MIKE
| mike
|-
!scope="row"| N
|Nancy
|Neufchatel
|New York
|New-York
|New York
|NAN
|NANCY
|NORMA
|NORMA
|Nectar
|Nectar
|'''November'''
|November
|NO <u>VEM</u> BER
|November
|NO '''VEM''' BER
|NO '''VÈMM''' BER
|NO <u>VEM</u> BER
| no-vem-ber
|-
!scope="row"| O
|Ostend
|Ontario
|Oslo
|Oslo
|Oslo
|OBOE
|OTTO
|OPERA
|OPERA
|'''Oscar'''
|'''Oscar'''
|'''Oscar'''
|Oscar
|<u>OSS</u> CAH
|Oscar
|'''OSS''' CAH
|'''OSS''' KAR
|<u>OSS</u> CAH
| oss-cah
|-
!scope="row"| P
|Paris
|Portugal
|Paris
|Paris
|Paris
|PETER
|PETER
|PERU
|PERU
|Polka
|'''Papa'''
|'''Papa'''
|Papa
|PAH <u>PAH</u>
|Papa
|PAH '''PAH'''
|PAH '''PAH'''
|PAH <u>PAH</u>
| pah-pah
|-
!scope="row"| Q
|'''Quebec'''
|'''Quebec'''
|'''Québec'''
|'''Québec'''
|'''Quebec'''
|QUEEN
|QUEEN
|'''QUEBEC'''
|'''QUEBEC'''
|'''Quebec'''
|'''Quebec'''
|'''Quebec'''
|Quebec
|KEH <u>BECK</u>
|Quebec
|KEH '''BECK'''
|KÉ '''BÈK'''
|KEH <u>BECK</u>
| keh-beck
|-
!scope="row"| R
|Rome
|Rivoli
|Roma
|Roma
|Roma
|ROGER
|ROBERT
|ROSA
|ROGER
|'''Romeo'''
|'''Romeo'''
|'''Romeo'''
|Romeo
|<u>ROW</u> ME OH
|Romeo
|'''ROW''' ME OH
|'''RO''' MI O
|<u>ROW</u> ME OH
| row-me-oh
|-
!scope="row"| S
|Sardinia
|Santiago
|Santiago
|Santiago
|Santiago
|SUGAR
|SUSAN
|SARA
|SANTA
|'''Sierra'''
|'''Sierra'''
|'''Sierra'''
|Sierra
|SEE <u>AIR</u> RAH
|Sierra
|SEE '''AIR''' RAH
|SI '''ÈR''' RAH
|SEE <u>AIR</u> RAH
| see-air-rah
|-
!scope="row"| T
|Tokio
|Tokio
|Tripoli
|Tripoli
|Tripoli
|TARE
|THOMAS
|TOMAS
|THOMAS
|'''Tango'''
|'''Tango'''
|'''Tango'''
|Tango
|<u>TANG</u> GO
|Tango
|'''TANG''' GO
|'''TANG''' GO
|<u>TANG</u> GO
| tang-go
|-
!scope="row"| U
|Uruguay
|Uruguay
|Upsala
|Upsala
|Upsala
|UNCLE
|UNION
|URUGUAY
|URSULA
|Union
|Union
|'''Uniform'''
|Uniform
|{{nowrap|<u>YOU</u> NEE FORM}} ''or'' <br /> <u>OO</u> NEE FORM
|Uniform
|'''YOU''' NEE FORM (''or'' '''OO''' NEE FORM)
|'''YOU''' NI FORM (''ou'' '''OU''' NI FORM)
|<u>YOU</u> NEE FORM ''or'' <u>OO</u> NEE FORM
| you-nee-form
|-
!scope="row"| V
|'''''Victoria'''''
|'''''Victoria'''''
|Valencia
|Valencia
|Valencia
|'''VICTOR'''
|'''VICTOR'''
|'''VICTOR'''
|'''VICTOR'''
|'''Victor'''
|'''Victor'''
|'''Victor'''
|Victor
|<u>VIK</u> TAH
|Victor
|'''VIK''' TAH
|'''VIK''' TAR
|<u>VIK</u> TAH
| vic-tah
|-
!scope="row"| W
|Washington
|Washington
|Washington
|Washington
|Washington
|WILLIAM
|WILLIAM
|'''WHISKEY'''
|'''WHISKEY'''
|'''Whiskey'''
|'''Whiskey'''
|'''Whiskey'''
|Whiskey
|<u>WISS</u> KEY
|Whiskey
|'''WISS''' KEY
|'''OUISS''' KI
|<u>WISS</u> KEY
| wiss-key
|-
!scope="row"| X
|Xaintrie
|Xantippe
|Xanthippe
|Xanthippe
|Xanthippe
|'''XRAY'''
|'''X-RAY'''
|EQUIS
|'''X-RAY'''
|eXtra
|eXtra
|'''X-ray'''
|X-ray
|<u>ECKS</u> <u>RAY</u>
|X-ray
|'''ECKS''' RAY
|'''ÈKSS RÉ'''
|<u>ECKS</u> RAY
| ecks-ray
|-
!scope="row"| Y
|Yokohama
|Yokohama
|Yokohama
|Yokohama
|Yokohama
|YOKE
|YOUNG
|YOLANDA
|YORK
|'''Yankey'''
|'''Yankee'''
|'''Yankee'''
|Yankee
|<u>YANG</u> KEY
|Yankee
|'''YANG''' KEY
|'''YANG''' KI
|<u>YANG</u> KEY
| yang-key
|-
!scope="row"| Z
|Zanzibar
|'''''Zululand'''''
|Zürich
|Zurich
|Zurich
|ZEBRA
|ZEBRA
|ZETA
|?
|Zebra
|'''Zulu'''
|'''Zulu'''
|Zulu
|<u>ZOO</u> LOO
|Zulu
|'''ZOO''' LOO
|'''ZOU''' LOU
|<u>ZOO</u> LOO
| zoo-loo
|-
!scope="row"| 0
|
|
|
|Jérusalem<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|Jerusalem<ref group="Note" name=":0">Each sequence of figures is both preceded and followed by "as a number" (or, for punctuation only) "as a mark", spoken twice.</ref>
|Zero
|
|
|
|
|
|
|Juliett<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|(alt. proposals: ZE-RO, ZERO)
|zero
|''(see table of digits)''
|''(see table of digits)''
|ZE-RO
| zee-ro
|-
!scope="row"| 1
|
|
|
|Amsterdam<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|Amsterdam<ref group="Note" name=":0" />
|Wun
|
|
|
|
|
|
|Alfa<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|(alt. proposals: WUN, WUN)
|one
|
|
|WUN
| wun
|-
!scope="row"| 2
|
|
|
|Baltimore<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|Baltimore<ref group="Note" name=":0" />
|Too
|
|
|
|
|
|
|Bravo<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|(alt. proposals: TOO, BIS)
|two
|
|
|TOO
| too
|-
!scope="row"| 3
|
|
|
|Casablanca<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|Casablanca<ref group="Note" name=":0" />
|Thuh-ree
|
|
|
|
|
|
|Charlie<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|(alt. proposals: TREE, TER)
|three
|
|
|TREE
|tree
|-
!scope="row"| 4
|
|
|
|Danemark<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|Danemark<ref group="Note" name=":0" />
|Fo-wer
|
|
|
|
|
|
|Delta<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|(alt. proposals: FOW-ER, QUARTO)
|four
|
|
|FOW-er
|fow-er
|-
!scope="row"| 5
|
|
|
|Edison<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|Edison<ref group="Note" name=":0" />
|Fi-yiv
|
|
|
|
|
|
|Echo<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|(alt. proposals: FIFE, PENTA)
|five
|
|
|FIFE
|fife
|-
!scope="row"| 6
|
|
|
|Florida<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|Florida<ref group="Note" name=":0" />
|Six
|
|
|
|
|
|
|Foxtrot<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|(alt. proposals: SIX, SAXO)
|six
|
|
|SIX
|six
|-
!scope="row"| 7
|
|
|
|Gallipoli<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|Gallipoli<ref group="Note" name=":0" />
|Seven
|
|
|
|
|
|
|Golf<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|(alt. proposals: SEV-EN, SETTE)
|seven
|
|
|SEV-en
|sev-en
|-
!scope="row"| 8
|
|
|
|Havana<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|Havana<ref group="Note" name=":0" />
|Ate
|
|
|
|
|
|
|Hotel<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|(alt. proposals: AIT, OCTO)
|eight
|
|
|AIT
|ait
|-
!scope="row"| 9
|
|
|
|Italia<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|Italia<ref group="Note" name=":0" />
|Niner
|
|
|
|
|
|
|India<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|(alt. proposals: NIN-ER, NONA)
|nine
|
|
|NIN-er
|nin-er
|-
!scope="row"| . (decimal point)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|(proposals: DAY-SEE-MAL, DECIMAL)
|decimal
|DAY-SEE-MAL
|DÉ-SI-MAL
|DAY-SEE-MAL
|-
!scope="row"| Hundred
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|hundred
|
|
|HUN-dred
|-
!scope="row"| Thousand
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|(proposals: TOUS-AND, &ndash;)
|thousand
|
|
|TOU-SAND
|-
!scope="row"| ,
|
|
|
|Kilogramme<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|Kilogramme<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|Kilo<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!scope="row"| / (fraction bar)
|
|
|
|Liverpool<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|Liverpool<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|Lima<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!scope="row"| (break signal)
|
|
|
|Madagascar<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|Madagascar<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|Mike<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!scope="row"| . (punctuation)
|
|
|
|New-York<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|New York<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|November<ref name=":0" group="Note" />
|
|
|STOP
|STOP
|
|}
For the 1938 and 1947 phonetics, each transmission of figures is preceded and followed by the words "as a number" spoken twice.

The ITU adopted the [[International Maritime Organization|IMO]] phonetic spelling alphabet in 1959,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://handle.itu.int/11.1004/020.1000/4.94.51.en.103 |title=Documents of the World Administrative Radio Conference to deal with matters relating to the maritime mobile service (WARC Mar)|location=Geneva|date=1967|access-date=30 January 2019|publisher=International Telecommunication Union}}</ref> and in 1969 specified that it be "for application in the maritime mobile service only".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://handle.itu.int/11.1004/020.1000/2.118.62.en.100 |title=Report on the Activities of The International Telecommunication Union in 1967|access-date=30 January 2019|date=1968|location=Geneva|publisher=International Telecommunication Union}}</ref>

Pronunciation was not defined prior to 1959. For the post-1959 phonetics, the underlined syllable of each letter word should be emphasized, and each syllable of the code words for the post-1969 figures should be equally emphasized.