It’s a standardized way to ensure that everyone understands everyone. That’s exactly where this phonetic alphabet comes in handy. You’ve probably caught yourself saying things like, “C as in Charlie” or “D as in Dog” to help spell out words or names. When communicating with people over the phone, even if they don’t have a different accent or language than you, it might come in handy for you to spell out your name-which can be tricky over the phone. Why clear communication mattersĪ system like the NATO phonetic alphabet can ensure that people are always understood and that the message is never confused. It was designated as BZ, and then when the ICAO alphabet was adopted, it became known as “Bravo Zulu” and is commonly accepted even in various circles outside of the navy as a form of congratulations. This term originally comes from the Allied Naval Signal Book and was adopted in 1949. Another common use of the NATO phonetic alphabet outside of the military is found in the financial sector, where traders, bankers, and other business professionals use the alphabet to handle phone communications with international clients and partners.įinally, there is the use of “Bravo Zulu” to congratulate someone on a job well done. Commercial aviation also uses this alphabet, and they may have their own terms and industry shorthand, as well. There are also alterations to the alphabet, such as those by the police force which has its own phonetic alphabet for communicating with other officers. Although the alphabet itself hasn’t changed much, the creation of some expressions has occurred in a few different places.įor one example, “Oscar-Mike” is used by the military to denote that they are moving positions, or “on the move.” In addition to the alphabet itself, there have been some expressions or “shorthand” phrases that have been created using certain combinations of the words in the NATO alphabet, and those are also widely accepted across several different industries and applications. Here’s the entire alphabet, in order, so that you can learn it and file it away for later use.Ī – Alfa (the “ph” often seen is incorrect-that sound is not internationally recognized) The NATO phonetic alphabet: By the letter It was not well-received, so it was modified and five years later, with just five changes to the original by Vinay, the NATO phonetic alphabet was officially introduced. Jean-Paul Vinay set to task and completed the new phonetic alphabet in 1951. To do this, a notable linguistics professor from the University of Montreal was chosen for the job. The idea was to ensure that all pilots could communicate, regardless of their native language or any accents that may be present. To reduce that confusion, the United Nations appointed the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to create an alphabet that was standardized and that included common sounds so that all nationalities could speak the alphabet with ease. This was effective enough for internal communication, but when it came to communicating with others, things got confusing, quickly. Why standardize?Īs with many things, there were years when every organization or military force used its own phonetic alphabet. The NATO phonetic alphabet assigns a word to every letter, ensuring that the word begins with the letter in question-Alfa, for A, for one example. In 1956, it debuted as a tool for pilots to communicate effectively and within a few years, it was the standard, established universal phonetic alphabet to be used for all civilian, military, and amateur radio communication. NATO developed the phonetic alphabet to prevent miscommunications and spelling mistakes, especially when communication is taking place between people from different countries or with different accents and dialects. The NATO phonetic alphabet is a form of language that was developed as a necessity, and it’s still quite useful in several different situations today. As a species, humans have learned to develop various forms and categories of language and communication over the years, both out of necessity and out of a desire for more-more evolution, more interaction, more connection-whatever the case may be.
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