Alfa, 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. If you have ever served in the armed forces or worked in the aviation industry, these words are most likely permanently seared into your brain. And even if you haven’t, you have probably heard them used in countless war movies and other places. This is the NATO phonetic spelling alphabet, a series of 26 words mapped acrophonically onto the letters of the Roman alphabet. Officially adopted by NATO in 1956, this alphabet has since become the de facto standard for militaries and civilian organizations around the world. But what is this alphabet even for? And how was this collection of seemingly-random words chosen? Well, Lima Echo Tango Sierra Foxtrot India November Delta Oscar Uniform Tango as we dive into the long and fascinating history of phonetic spelling alphabets.

Author: Gilles Messier
Host: Simon Whistler
Editor: Daven Hiskey
Producer: Samuel Avila