Which phonetic alphabet is used for spelling letters in aviation radiotelephony?

• A. ITU phonetic alphabet
• B. The US Navy radiotelephony alphabet
• C. The NATO phonetic alphabet
• D. ICAO (NATO) phonetic alphabet

Answer: (D)

In aviation radiotelephony, spelling letters with a standardized set of code words ensures every listener clearly understands the transmitted letters, even in noisy or poor-quality radio conditions. The system used worldwide is the ICAO phonetic alphabet, which is also known as the NATO phonetic alphabet. It was established by the International Civil Aviation Organization and adopted globally for air traffic control and flight crew communications, so pilots and controllers anywhere are using the same words for each letter (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and so on). This universal standard helps prevent miscommunication about call signs, waypoint names, weather data, or other critical information.

Other options refer to older or non-global variants—such as historical ITU versions or a U.S. Navy radiotelephony alphabet—but they aren’t the current civil aviation standard. That makes the ICAO (NATO) phonetic alphabet the best answer.