Text to NATO alphabet

    Spell text out using the NATO phonetic alphabet.

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    About the text to nato alphabet

    Spells your text out in the NATO phonetic alphabet, the code words aviation, maritime and support desks use to read characters over a noisy line. Digits and common punctuation are covered, and capitals can be flagged explicitly.

    Frequently asked questions

    Why not just say the letters?

    B, C, D, E, G, P, T, V and Z sound nearly identical over a compressed voice channel. The code words were chosen specifically so no two are confusable, even with heavy static.

    Is it useful outside radio work?

    Very. Reading a licence key, booking reference or postcode to someone on the phone goes faster with code words than with "B as in boy" invented on the spot.