Phonetic Alphabet

The NATO phonetic alphabet is widely used to improve communications when you absolutely have to be clear. Whether it's radio interference or the sound of gun fire, soldiers must be able to effectively communicate. The phonetic alphabet is really a spelling alphabet and not a true phonetic alphabet, lets operators communicate clear regardless of language, noise and other interference. When you are calling for support or an air strike your commands must be clearly understood because the consequences could literally be life or death. Letters often sound the same when spoken and the phonetic alphabet gives us a way to make absolute sure that your orders were relayed exactly as you meant them to be.

Character Telephony Pronunciation A Alfa AL-FAH B Bravo BRAH-VOH C Charlie CHAR-LEE D Delta DELL-TAH E Echo ECK-OH F Foxtrot FOKS-TROT G Golf GOLF H Hotel HOH-TEL I India IN-DEE-AH J Juliett JEW-LEE-ETT K Kilo KEY-LOH L Lima LEE-MAH M Mike MIKE N November NO-VEM-BER O Oscar OSS-CAH P Papa PAH-PAH Q Quebec KEH-BECK R Romeo ROW-ME-OH S Sierra SEE-AIR-RAH T Tango TANG-GO U Uniform YOU-NEE-FORM V Victor VIK-TAH W Whiskey WISS-KEY X X-Ray ECKS-RAY Y Yankee YANG-KEY Z Zulu ZOO-LOO

Useful phrases:

NATO phonetic alphabet for "White House". Similarly, Charlie-Bravo is the abbreviation for Cluster-Fuck. 

White Trash, said using the phonetic alphabet "Whiskey Tango"

Bravo Sierra (BS) - Initials for the word "Bullshit"

The letters o (oscar) and m (mike) of the military phonetic alphabet which when used together indicates that a unit is "On the Move" or sometimes, "On Mission."

Military phonetic alphabet for "O.M.F.G", a widely used acronym for "Oh My Fucking God".

Foxtrot Mike Lima is the phonetic alphabet for FML...or fuck my life

Tango sierra foxtrot oscar from the phonetic alphabet translates as tough shit fuck off. Used quite a bit in the kitchens of uk chefs and military institutions.

In the phonetic alphabet, the equivalent of C and B, respectively are charlie and bravo. Definitively, C and B, are used to represent to word cock and block. 

Instead of saying Continue Mission, Charlie Mike is said instead so everyone over the radio can understand and know what you mean.

Bravo Foxtrot Delta: Military phonetic alphabet term for BFD or "Big Fuckin Deal"

The letter R had been phonetic alphabet shorthand for "Received", and over the radio it became "Roger".  Combining "Roger" (meaning "Received") and "Wilco" (meaning "will comply") means I hear you and will comply with your wishes or command.

Tango Uniform is the military phonetic alphabet for letters ‘t’ and ‘u’, used as euphemistic abbreviation for ‘tits up’. Meaning to be prostrate or rendered out of commission; unfixable; dead. In military aviation, the flight attitude indicator on the aircraft instrument panel contained a miniature representation of an airplane which showed the flight attitude – climb, dive, bank; one style of the indicator was shaped with ‘v’ forms between the ‘dot’ – representing the fuselage (body) and the ‘dashes’ – representing the wings; (–v*v– see illus.) the ‘v’s were frequently referred to as ‘tits’; the term referred to the potentially hazardous inverted flight condition – ‘upside down’ – where the ‘tits’ would be seen as being ‘up’.