Lesson 3 · 7 min
Speaking on the radio
The phonetic alphabet, numbers, and the standard words that carry meaning.
Underlined terms below have a definition — click one to read it, or open the full glossary.
The phonetic alphabet
Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf Hotel India Juliett Kilo Lima Mike November Oscar Papa Quebec Romeo Sierra Tango Uniform Victor Whiskey X-ray Yankee Zulu.
Letters are always spoken phonetically , never as plain letters.
Numbers
Numbers are spoken digit by digit: 1013 is 'one zero one three'. Nine is spoken 'niner' to avoid confusion with the German 'nein' and with 'five'.
, not runway twenty-seven. Altitudes are an exception in common use: 1500 feet is spoken 'one thousand five hundred feet'.
Words that mean something specific
— I have received your last transmission. It does not mean yes, and it does not mean you will comply.
— I understand and I will comply.
/ — yes / no. Never 'yeah' or 'nope'.
— repeat your last message. — wait, I will call you.
— repeat my message back to me so I can check you got it.
There is no place for please, thank you, or conversation. Standard words are shorter, clearer and unambiguous under a poor signal.
TWR Golf Tango Mike, standby
'Standby' is not a clearance and not a refusal — it means the controller will call back.
Try it
What does 'roger' mean?
How is QNH 1008 spoken?