Ever try to tell someone how to spell your name over the phone? It's not the easiest thing to to when half the letters in our alphabet sound just like the others. That is why humans created the phonetic alphabet. Instead of saying the letter, you say a word that starts with that letter. There is one for practically every language and alaphbet. This one is the current English variation that has been in use since 1955. It is used by NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), ITU (International Telecommunication Union), and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).
A - Alpha
B - Bravo
C - Charlie
D - Delta
E - Echo
F - Foxtrot
G - Golf
H - Hotel
I - India
J - Juliet
K - Kilo
L - Lima
M - Mike
N - November
O - Oscar
P - Papa
Q - Quebec
R - Romeo
S - Sierra
T - Tango
U - Uniform
V - Victor
W - Whiskey
X - Xray
Y - Yankee
Z - Zulu
Certain bodies prefer different spellings to some of the words. You will sometimes see:
Alfa (Alpha)
Juliett (Juliet)
Juliette (Juliet)
Oskar (Oscar)
Viktor (Victor)
There are also different ways to say numbers as well. This is taken from the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language:
0 - Zero
1 - Wun
2 - Too
3 - Tree
4 - Fower
5 - Fife
6 - Six
7 - Seven
8 - Ait
9 - Niner
