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NATO phonetic alphabet quiz

Alfa to Zulu and tree, fower, fife, niner. Type the code word and it's marked for you.

NATO alphabet quiz

Pick letters one by one
Cards in the deck
Options
0 of 26 known

Keys: Space or Enter turns the card over. K or → is Knew it, L or ← is Still learning.

Print flash cards

On the sheets
The cards chosen above, in the same order. Print at 100% (actual size), double-sided, flipping on the long edge.
NATO alphabet flash cards: fronts, sheet 1 of 3OLGJIKTDYESC Print double-sided, flipping on the long edge, then cut along the dashed lines.Made at stringmash.com/nato-phonetic-alphabet-quiz
NATO alphabet flash cards: backs, sheet 1 of 3OscarOLimaLGolfGJuliettJIndiaIKiloKTangoTDeltaDYankeeYEchoESierraSCharlieC This side is mirrored left to right so each answer lands behind its question.Made at stringmash.com/nato-phonetic-alphabet-quiz

Using the quiz

Letter → code word shows Q and wants Quebec. Code word → letter turns it round. Say the answer out loud before you turn the card, as you would on a call. If you'd rather be marked by the page, tick Type the answer and spell the code word out in full.

Typed answers accept the everyday spellings as well as the official ones, so Alpha and Alfa, Juliet and Juliett, and X-ray all count. The cards show the official spelling.

Which picks A to Z, either half, or the ten digits. The digits use ICAO's radio forms: tree for 3, fower for 4, fife for 5 and niner for 9. Typing three or nine is marked right too.

Why Alfa and Juliett

ICAO brought in the final version of the alphabet on 1 March 1956. Alfa has an f because speakers of some languages don't know that ph is said f. Juliett has two ts for French speakers, who might otherwise treat a single t at the end as silent.

Four digits change too. Niner has an extra syllable to keep it apart from the German nein, which means no. The NATO phonetic alphabet page has the history and a printable chart.

Questions

Is Alpha wrong?

It's the everyday spelling and the quiz accepts it. Alfa is the official ICAO spelling.

How do you say numbers in the NATO alphabet?

Mostly as normal. ICAO says three, four, five and nine as tree, fower, fife and niner on the radio. Choose Digits under Which to practise them.

Can I print the cards?

Yes, double-sided with each code word behind its letter, or as fold-over strips. The print uses the cards chosen above.

Is my progress saved?

In this browser, if storage is allowed. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Sources

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