Charlie
NATO Phonetic Alphabet — Letter C
In the NATO phonetic alphabet, the letter C is represented by the code word Charlie. Pronounced CHAR-lee, it is one of the few code words that doubles as a common first name, making it particularly easy to remember.
Quick Facts
Why Charlie for the Letter C?
Charlie is a name recognized in virtually every English-speaking country, and its clear "ch" sound at the beginning makes it instantly distinguishable from other phonetic alphabet words. The letter C is particularly tricky in normal speech because it can sound very similar to letters like B, D, E, G, P, T, and V over a poor radio connection. By replacing it with "Charlie," there is zero ambiguity about which letter is being communicated.
During World War II, the letter C was represented by "Cast" in the Joint Army/Navy alphabet, and before that by "Charlie" in the RAF alphabet. When ICAO conducted its international testing program in the early 1950s, Charlie performed exceptionally well across all language groups tested. Unlike some other candidate words, it was correctly identified by speakers of French, Spanish, Portuguese, and other Romance languages with almost no errors.
In popular culture, Charlie has become one of the most recognized phonetic alphabet words. Pilots frequently use it when reading back clearances - for example, taxiway Charlie is a common designation at many airports around the world. In the maritime world, the Charlie signal flag is a horizontal pattern of blue, white, red, white, and blue stripes, and when hoisted it means "Yes" or "Affirmative."
Learn the Phonetic Alphabet with Games
The Aviation Memory Game by 2410 Games teaches kids the complete NATO phonetic alphabet through fun, hands-on play. Perfect for ages 3-12!
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