PHONETIC ALPHABET

Some letters of the alphabet have similar sounds; therefore, it is easy to confine the sounds of these letters. For this reason, the standard phonetic equivalents of the letters of the alphabet are used in R/T communications. Using the phonetic alphabet saves many corrections and constant repetitions that would otherwise be necessary. Table 2-1 contains the alphabet with a list of its phonetic and spoken equivalents. The bolded portions of the spoken equivalents are the parts of the word that should be given the greatest emphasis when spoken.

When signals from naval signal books are transmitted by voice, names of flags (ALFA, BRAVO, and so on) are used since they appear in the signal books. Difficult words within the text of plain text messages may be phonetically spelled, using the phonetic alphabet, preceded by the proword I SPELL. When the operator can pronounce the word to be spelled, he or she does so before and after the spelling of the word to be identified. For example, a phrase in a

Table 2-1-Phonetic Alphabet

plain text message might contain the words "Kisatchie Reservation." Upon reaching these two words, the operator would say, ". . .Kisatchie, I SPELL, KILO, INDIA, SIERRA, ALFA, TANGO, CHARLIE, HOTEL, INDIA, ECHO, Kisatchie, Reservation . . ." (rest of text).

When a text is composed of pronounceable words, the words are spoken as such. When a text is encrypted, the groups are transmitted by the phonetic equivalents of the individual letters and without the proword I SPELL. For example, the encrypted group DRSRM is spoken "DELTA, ROMEO, SIERRA, ROMEO, MIKE" and is counted as one group.

PRONUNCIATION OF NUMERALS

You must use care in distinguishing numerals from similarly pronounced words. When transmitting numerals, you may use the proword FIGURES preceding such numbers. For example, the text of an R/T message contains the phrase "From Ten Companies." There is a possibility that the phrase would sound like "From Tin Companies" if spoken as it is written. An operator, therefore, could use the proword FIGURES when this phrase is reached in the text by saying "From FIGURES One Zero Companies." The operator could also use the proword I SPELL here. For example, upon reaching the same phrase in the text of the message, an operator could transmit "From Ten, I SPELL, TANGO, ECHO, NOVEMBER, Ten, Companies."

When numerals are transmitted, their correct pronunciation is as follows:

The numeral 0 is always spoken as "zero," never as "oh." Decimal points are spoken as "day-see-mal."

Numbers are transmitted digit for digit except that exact multiples of thousands are spoken as such. There are, however, special cases, such as antiair warfare reporting procedures, when the normal pronunciation of numerals is prescribed and digit-for-digit transmission does not apply. For example, in the case given, the number 17 is pronounced "seventeen"; not "one seven." The following is a list of numbers and their normal R/T pronunciation:

DECIMALS, DATES, AND ABBREVIATIONS

As we mentioned earlier, the decimal point is spoken as "day-see-mal." For example, 920.4 would be spoken as "Niner Too Zero Day-see-mal Fower."

Dates are spoken digit for digit, with the months spoken in full. For example, the date 20 September is spoken as "Too Zero September."

There are some rules that you should remember concerning abbreviations in the text of an R/T message. For example, initials are spoken phonetically when used alone or with short titles. The phrase "Para A" is spoken as "Para Alfa." The initials "ACP" would be spoken as "Alfa Charlie Papa."

Personal initials are spoken phonetically, prefixed by the proword INITIALS. For example, the name "W. T. DOOR" would be spoken as "INITIALS Whiskey Tango Door."

Familiar abbreviations that are frequently used in normal speech may be transmitted in abbreviated form on R/T. For example, the word "NATO" is spoken as "NATO." The ship "USS Canopus" is spoken as "USS Canopus."

PUNCTUATION

When punctuation is necessary in an R/T message, the punctuation is pronounced as follows:

Roman numerals, when used, are transmitted in the same manner as the corresponding Arabic numerals and preceded by the word "ROMAN." For example, the Roman numeral III is pronounced "ROMAN Tree."