About the ICAO Phonetic Alphabet

The International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet (IRSA), also known as the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) phonetic alphabet or ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) phonetic alphabet is a set of words used to represent the letters of the English alphabet in radio communications.

The ICAO phonetic alphabet was established in order to create a standardized system of communication across the world, based on codewords that were selected in order to ensure intelligibility. It is used by pilots, air traffic controllers, and other military and aviation personnel and it is also commonly used by sailors and other marine personnel in maritime radio communication.

Learn the ICAO Phonetic Alphabet:

  • improve your communication skills in the aviation and maritime industry,

  • comply with industry standards and regulations,

  • improve understanding in noisy environments,

  • it can be helpful for those who communicate with people from different countries.