The aviation phonetic alphabet
Every letter you say on the radio uses the standard phonetic alphabet, so “G-ABCD” is spoken “Golf Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta”. Here is the full alphabet with the pronunciation, plus how numbers are spoken — then practise saying your own callsign to a live AI controller.
Letters: Alpha to Zulu
Capitalised syllables are stressed.
Numbers: how pilots say them
Several numbers are deliberately pronounced differently from everyday English so they can’t be confused over a noisy radio.
Numbers are normally spoken digit by digit — e.g. 120.375 is “ONE TWO ZERO DECIMAL TREE SEVEN FIFE”. Round figures may be grouped, e.g. 3000 ft as “TREE TOUSAND”.
Say it out loud, not just in your head
TowerTalk’s revision section drills the alphabet with a quiz, and the AI controller will hear your callsign in a real call — free to try.
Related
Study aid, written in our own words from TowerTalk’s revision material (based on standard CAP 413 / ICAO conventions). Last reviewed 2 July 2026; awaiting independent expert review. It does not reproduce CAP 413 and is not a substitute for it — always defer to CAP 413 and the current official publications, and to your instructor and examiner. TowerTalk is not CAA approved.