Phonetic Alphabet

[dlwtrunked]

Being a person who often corrects "KHz" and "khz" to the correct "kHz" (yes, there are reasons for using the correct capitalization) and "mhz" to the correct "MHz" (I am sure they always mean "megahertz" and not "millihertz), an even more often error is seen even in sources which have become standard. Often the phonetic for the letter "A" is given as "Alpha", which the correct spelling for this phonetic is "Alfa". And the correct spelling for "J" is "Juliett" (with two "t"-not "Juliet").
It is possible that even most places on the web get one of these wrong by making their lists from their memory without checking (and having the word "alphabet" in their head--even some "official" government webpages. The above is true for both the NATO and ITU alphabet phonetics. A primary reason for the correct spellings is that helps mis-pronouncing them (primarily in French speaking countries.) It is interesting to see many webpages lists with wrong spellings an then referencing an official site with the correct spellings. The mis-spelling for the phonetic of "Alfa" probably occurs more often than its correct spelling as people of course are thinking "alpha" as in "alphabet" or should that be "alfabet"?

https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/pdf_2018_01/20180111_nato-alphabet-sign-signal.pdf

https://life.itu.int/radioclub/rr/ap14.pdf

 

[k6cpo]

Are we doing this again?

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

I've got nothing constructive to contribute here

 

[Enforcer52]

Me gaht nuttin eder

 

[popnokick]

… and who was Heinrich Hertz with regard to Hertzian waves? (Hint: Not rental cars)

 

[merlin]

Depends on who is using it and its application.
Aviation much has its standard, Amateurs have a spinoff of their own. Public safety has their version.
Other places that have critical voice uses can choose what they like as long as it is clear with no mistake.
In print, if one can't read between the lines and understand the message conveyed, maybe you need Braille, you get a feeling.
Modern texting is such a clusterf$%k, you need a reference.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Philly PD for example has their own unique phonetic scheme for certain units:

Dist. + Andy District Sergeant
Dist. + Barney District Sergeant
Dist. + Dan District Operations Sergeant
Dist. + Eddie District Tactical Sergeant (5 squad)
Dist. + Frank District Additional Sergeant
Dist. + George District Additional Sergeant
Dist. + Harry to X-Ray District Additional Sergeants as needed
Dist. + Mary + unit Motorized Bike Units (Northeast & Far-NE Districts only
Dist. + Nathan + unit Narcotics Enforcement Teams - NETs (East and 25 th Districts only)
Dist. + Pat + unit Power Drop-back Tactical Officers (Marked and Plain Clothed)
Dist. + Sam + unit Safe Streets Detail (Selected Districts)
Dist. + Tom + unit Tactical Foot Patrol (TFP) Units (5 squad)

 

[dlwtrunked]

Are we doing this again?

My point was about "Alfa" and "Juliett" and the "Why?". If you do not like the topic, then I would ignore it.

 

[dlwtrunked]

Depends on who is using it and its application.
Aviation much has its standard, Amateurs have a spinoff of their own. Public safety has their version.
Other places that have critical voice uses can choose what they like as long as it is clear with no mistake.
In print, if one can't read between the lines and understand the message conveyed, maybe you need Braille, you get a feeling.
Modern texting is such a clusterf$%k, you need a reference.

My post was only about the ITU and NATO phonetic alphabet and that there were reasons for those spellings.. Some of the others are based on mistakes of these and some are just different phonetic alphabets and unrelated. But if one claims a list is ITU or NATO, they should get it right. I am amazed how many disagree but yet are sticklers for other rules.

 

[drdispatch]

"Z" is for "zylafone".

 

[dlwtrunked]

Are we doing this again?

Where specifically was the correct NATO and ITU "Alfa" and "Juliett" and reasons previously discussed? That was the subject of my post.

 

[a417]

Philly PD for example has their own unique phonetic scheme for certain units:

Dist. + Andy District Sergeant
Dist. + Barney District Sergeant
Dist. + Dan District Operations Sergeant
Dist. + Eddie District Tactical Sergeant (5 squad)
Dist. + Frank District Additional Sergeant
Dist. + George District Additional Sergeant
Dist. + Harry to X-Ray District Additional Sergeants as needed
Dist. + Mary + unit Motorized Bike Units (Northeast & Far-NE Districts only
Dist. + Nathan + unit Narcotics Enforcement Teams - NETs (East and 25 th Districts only)
Dist. + Pat + unit Power Drop-back Tactical Officers (Marked and Plain Clothed)
Dist. + Sam + unit Safe Streets Detail (Selected Districts)
Dist. + Tom + unit Tactical Foot Patrol (TFP) Units (5 squad)

Dist. + Jawn

 

[a417]

Where specifically was the correct NATO and ITU "Alfa" and "Juliett" and reasons previously discussed? That was the subject of my post.

There's this from Content authority brought on by a Googlings, but it does highlight how "Alfa" is the (purportedly) technically correct spelling of the greek letter...so ymmv.

 

[merlin]

My post was only about the ITU and NATO phonetic alphabet and that there were reasons for those spellings.. Some of the others are based on mistakes of these and some are just different phonetic alphabets and unrelated. But if one claims a list is ITU or NATO, they should get it right. I am amazed how many disagree but yet are sticklers for other rules.

Nothing wrong with any one standard but when you are ham, a pilot, mil comms person, and use ITU, you are very prone to getting them mixed.
Agree, there is little room for mispelling for the likes of "flash Z" or "imediate O" messages.
The ITU has a list of their specific phonetics, searchable, look it up.

 

[dlwtrunked]

Nothing wrong with any one standard but when you are ham, a pilot, mil comms person, and use ITU, you are very prone to getting them mixed.
Agree, there is little room for mispelling for the likes of "flash Z" or "imediate O" messages.
The ITU has a list of their specific phonetics, searchable, look it up.

I thought I put a link to one in my posts. What is funny is to see some pages which give a table then use a different spelling set. I saw a CAP page do that. People rely a lot on their memory, I have learned not to do that myself.

 

[dlwtrunked]

There's this from Content authority brought on by a Googlings, but it does highlight how "Alfa" is the (purportedly) technically correct spelling of the greek letter...so ymmv.

Nice link.

 

[drdispatch]

Philly PD for example has their own unique phonetic scheme for certain units:

Dist. + Andy District Sergeant
Dist. + Barney District Sergeant
Dist. + Dan District Operations Sergeant
Dist. + Eddie District Tactical Sergeant (5 squad)
Dist. + Frank District Additional Sergeant
Dist. + George District Additional Sergeant
Dist. + Harry to X-Ray District Additional Sergeants as needed
Dist. + Mary + unit Motorized Bike Units (Northeast & Far-NE Districts only
Dist. + Nathan + unit Narcotics Enforcement Teams - NETs (East and 25 th Districts only)
Dist. + Pat + unit Power Drop-back Tactical Officers (Marked and Plain Clothed)
Dist. + Sam + unit Safe Streets Detail (Selected Districts)
Dist. + Tom + unit Tactical Foot Patrol (TFP) Units (5 squad)

Please tell me that I'm not the only one who chuckled when they read the first two.

 

[drdispatch]

There's this from Content authority brought on by a Googlings, but it does highlight how "Alfa" is the (purportedly) technically correct spelling of the greek letter...so ymmv.

APCO radiotelephony spelling alphabet - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Really good chart in this article.

 

[merlin]

Flying one day, I heard a scenic helicopter calling in. " this is aero 2 mickey mouse" obviously last 3 digits of the aircraft ID. (2 M M)

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Dist. + Jawn

Pho Shore