Military Alphabet: how to understand it?

WHAT IS THE MILITARY ALPHABET?

If you've seen any military films, documentaries or series, you've probably heard of the famous Alpha, Charlie, Bravo or Foxtrot. It also appears in war games such as Battlefield and Call of Duty.

But what do they mean? These names certainly don't mean anything to you, unless you're a soldier or have already learned a little more about the subject.

These names correspond to the language used by the military to improve communication and exchanges. Often, it's to make them easier and more fluid, and can be likened to a kind of military term. The armies of all the world's nations use one to make their operations faster and more efficient. It's called the phonetic alphabet.

THE MILITARY ALPHABET: WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?É ?

As explained above, the military alphabet is designed to improve communication between teams. Military personnel need to send and receive messages that are clear and easy to understand. On a mission, it's not often possible to ask for information several times. Time is a soldier's ally, and mistakes of this kind can be fatal, slowing down a team.

How does it work? All you have to do is replace each letter with a number of words, known as an acronym. Each name is associated with a letter of the alphabet. It's a fairly easy system to decode, like Morse code only more advanced, though still one of the most efficient.

As you can see, a mute person won't be able to use this phonetic system.

A concrete example: the word "dog" could be sent as "Célestine-Henri-Irma-Eugène-Nicolas". Obviously, these names all refer to first names, and it may seem more complicated to say that it simply means the word "dog". However, needs in the field vary considerably.

But other sounds can also be confused with each other. This applies, for example, to 'd' and 't' or 'm' and 'n'. By replacing the letters with names, you can't go wrong. For example, the letter "a" is identified by the name "Anatol". What's more, several code words can be combined to form another word, so you don't have to spell it out.

Here are three basic principles for conveying a good military message:

• Accuracy: don't send unclear or inaccurate messages. As a soldier, you have to deliver the exact message you want. Just a hint: if you're not sure about everything, stick to the essentials. Forget phonetic proximity.

• Conciseness: no to information that's too long. Otherwise, there's a risk that the listener won't understand everything correctly. Many transmissions should not exceed 30 seconds.

• Clarity: soldiers must speak clearly, with a tonic accent and good intonation when pronouncing sounds. Therefore, avoid talking into your beard or transcribing outside the means of communication at your disposal.

THE BIRTH OF A NEW LANGUAGE: THE MILITARY ALPHABET

The first recognized phonetic alphabet was introduced in 1927. However, the first signs ofmilitary alphabets appeared before the Second World War, thanks to the first radio and telephone communications.

In 1941, in order to standardize communications throughout the army, the United States introduced a cell phone alphabet common to both land and navy.

Many other countries have since adopted their own versions to honor the details of each alphabet. Italian, for example, has only 21 letters. The remaining 5 characters, which are not present, are only present in borrowings. It therefore seems logical that theItalian military alphabet should contain 21 letters. TheGerman alphabet is identical to the French alphabet.

All armed states have their own phonetic transcriptions for communications. In fact, words and linguistic elements differ from one language to another. What's more, these types of alphabet are not limited to the military: civil aviation also uses an international radio alphabet. In aeronautics, there's no room for error: you need complete radio control.

Good to know: The British Army's Royal Air Force uses an alphabet very similar to the American one.

FRENCH MILITARY ALPHABET

Armies around the world have their own alphabets, and France is no exception. The phonetic alphabet below is specific to the French army. Note that it is not used by the Police or Gendarmerie Nationale. Consequently, it contains as many names as characters, i.e. 26.

A	Anatole
B	Berthe
C	Célestine
D	Désiré
E	Eugène
F	François
G	Gaston
H	Henri
I	Irma
J	Joseph
K	Kléber
L	Louis
M	Marcel
N	Nicolas
O	Oscar
P	Pierre
Q	Quintal
R	Raoul
S	Suzanne
T	Thérèse
U	Ursule
V	Victor
W	William
X	Xavier
Y	Yvonne
Z	Zoé

 

NATO'S MILITARY ALPHABET

In a nutshell, NATO: "North Atlantic Treaty Organization", has for objective toensure the security security security of residents and of countries countries.

LETTERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC ALPHABET

EASY TO PRONOUNCE: THE INTERNATIONAL ALPHABET

Each English word in this alphabet has its own pronunciation, and accents are noticeable, compensating for the phonology of each country. A German soldier will potentially have more difficulty with articulations than a Spanish soldier. Linguistics has a lot to do with it. ex: delta code

Letter	Code	Pronunciation
A	alpha	alphâ
B	bravo	brâvo
C	charlie	charli
D	delta	dèlta
E	echo	ékô
F	foxtrot	foxtrotte
G	golf	golf
H	hotel	hotel
I	india	inedia
J	juliett	djouliette
K	kilo	kilô
L	lima	lima
M	mike	maïke
N	november	novembeure
O	oscar	oskar
P	dad	papâ
Q	quebec	kèbèc
R	romeo	roméô
S	sierra	siéra
T	tango	tangô
U	uniform	younifomm
V	victor	viktâ
W	whisky	ouiski
X	x-ray	èksrèï
Y	yankee	yangki
Z	zulu	zulu

 

TheNATO phonetic alphabet also contains numerical codes:

0	Zero
1	One
2	Two
3	Three ('tree')
4	Oven ('fower')
5	Five ('fife')
6	Six
7	Seven
8	Eight
9	Nine ('Niner')
10	Decimal
100	Hundred
1000	Thousand

 

Discover our article on military ranks in France!

IN CONCLUSION

The military phonetic alphabet, based on the alphabetic system, is standardized in all the world's languages. A real innovation of the 20th century, it is extremely useful in many circumstances. It concerns both the military and international civil aviation organizations such as airlines.

It's one of the best ways for the military to get a very specific message across, in the field for example, under the right conditions. Now that you know the basics about this unique alphabet, don't hesitate to take a look at our complete military surplus store.

The downside of themilitary alphabet is that it can seem complex to those unfamiliar with it. Memorizing the words corresponding to each letter of the alphabet can be time-consuming and confusing, especially in stressful situations.

Here's a field demonstration:

Our answers to all your questions about the Military Alphabet

How to join the French Armed Forces How can I join the French Army?

Would you like to join the French Armed Forces to learn and use themilitary phonetic alphabet? Good decision! To join the French Army, the conditions depend on the type of army (navy, army, air force or national guard) and the position targeted. So, find out more and make an appointment with a French Army recruiter to discuss the terms and conditions and apply to join the French Armed Forces. The rest will be explained to you at your French Army recruitment appointment!

Read our article onjoining the French Army. If you're interested in the habits of soldiers in the French Army, find out more about the different military ranks and military haircuts!

What is the current (in 2023) military communication code used by the French Army?

The military communication code used by the French Armed Forces is themilitary phonetic alphabet as we have presented it. It is characterized by the use of French first names to replace letters. All the world's armed forces use this phonetic alphabet.

What other communication codes are used by the Armed Forces and NATO around the world?

The Armed Forces and NATO use the same type of military communication code, the phonetic alphabet. The NATO phonetic alphabet is also known as Oscar Tango Mike or Alpha Bravo Charlie.

What is the military code?

The military code is officially called theInternational Orthographic Alphabet for Radiotelephony. This phonetic military alphabet is used by the Armed Forces to communicate by radio and telephone. It appeared at the same time as radio, to prevent communicators from misunderstanding the words and letters communicated by the Armed Forces.

Why was a military communications code introduced in the Armed Forces?

Simply because it's easy to confuse certain letters, such as b/p, d/t or m/n. So, to facilitate understanding, communication and avoid misunderstandings or misinterpretations when communicating over the radio, the world's armed forces and NATO have devised this international phonetic alphabet.

Do the armed forces use international Morse code to communicate?

Indeed, the international Morse Code is regularly used by the armed forces. In certain circumstances, radiotelegraphy is easier to understand than radiotelephony. Luminous Morse Code, known as Scott, is also used by armed forces at sea, such as the French Navy.

Do the police use the NATO military phonetic alphabet?

In fact, the police also use theNATO military phonetic alphabet! TheAlpha Bravo Charlie phonetic alphabet is used by NATO, ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) and the emergency services that use radio: police, firefighters, civil protection, White Cross rescue workers, amateur radio operators, the armed forces...

How long has radio been used by the Army?

Gustave Ferrié, a researcher and engineer, created military radiotelegraphy by installing antennas on the Eiffel Tower in 1904. The French Army uses radiotelegraphy and the radiotelephony since their inception. During the Second World War, radio held immense power for the Armed Forces.