phonetic alphabet

noun

Definition of phonetic alphabet

1 : a set of symbols (such as the IPA) used for phonetic transcription

2 : any of various systems of identifying letters of the alphabet by means of code words in voice communication

Examples of phonetic alphabet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fun fact: Spirits are named following the military phonetic alphabet — Romeo Rum, Victor Vodka, Golf Gin and more. — Sarah Bahr, Indianapolis Star, "Ultimate Indiana bucket list: 50+ things to do in Indianapolis and around the state," 11 July 2018 However, in the Atlantic Basin the practice of naming tropical cyclones did not begin until 1950 when the previously anonymous storms were named using a phonetic alphabet (Able, Baker, Charlie, etc.). — Tom Skilling, chicagotribune.com, "Ask Tom: When did weather experts begin naming tropical storms?," 5 June 2018 Storms were originally identified through a phonetic alphabet, like Adam, Baker, Charlie, and the same names were used for each hurricane season. — Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY, "How do hurricanes get their names?," 7 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'phonetic alphabet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about phonetic alphabet

Dictionary Entries near phonetic alphabet

phonetic alphabet

phonetic change

Statistics for phonetic alphabet

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for phonetic alphabet

The first known use of phonetic alphabet was in 1848

See more words from the same year

Comments on phonetic alphabet

What made you want to look up phonetic alphabet? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

WORD OF THE DAY

tergiversation

evasion of direct action or statement

Test Your Vocabulary

Great Scrabble Words—A Quiz

Which of the following Q-without-U words means the number five in cards or dice?

Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games