Related tools
- Escape / UnescapeEscape or unescape text in over thirty formats, from JSON, HTML, XML and URL to C, Python, shell, SQL, base64, ROT13, Morse and punycode.
- Morse Code TranslatorTranslate text to and from Morse code automatically, with a timing table for any words-per-minute speed and support for common prosigns.
- Language Code LookupLook up a language by ISO 639 code, English name, or native name, or a writing script by ISO 15924 code.
- Cipher ToolEncode and decode text with Caesar, ROT13, ROT47, Atbash, Vigenere, Affine, and Rail fence ciphers, plus a Caesar brute force scanner.
- Number to WordsSpell out a number in English words, including negative, decimal, ordinal, and currency forms, or convert words back into a number.
- Roman Numeral ConverterConvert between whole numbers and Roman numerals in either direction, with strict canonical validation and vinculum notation above 3999.
What it does
Spells out text letter by letter using the NATO/ICAO phonetic alphabet, the World War 2 era US Army legacy alphabet, or the classic German, Italian, or Swedish spelling alphabets, and decodes phonetic words back into letters in the other direction. Digits can spell out as standard English words or ICAO aviation pronunciations (Tree, Fower, Fife, Niner) for radio clarity.
How to use it
Type any text and it spells out using the selected alphabet, with a word by word breakdown below the main result. Paste phonetic words instead, like "Sierra Oscar Sierra," and it decodes back to letters automatically. Switch alphabets or digit style any time; the output updates instantly.
Why this one
Most phonetic alphabet tools only cover the NATO standard and only go one direction. This one covers five alphabets used across military, telecom, and radio contexts, decodes as well as encodes, and shows the letter by letter breakdown so you can check the spelling, all client-side with no ads: your files and inputs never leave your device.
FAQ
- How does the tool decide whether to spell text out or decode it?
- It checks how many of the space separated words in your input match a known phonetic or digit word for the selected alphabet. If most of them match, like "Alfa Bravo Charlie," it decodes; otherwise it treats the input as plain text and spells it out.
- What is the US Army legacy alphabet?
- The Joint Army/Navy Phonetic Alphabet used by US forces from the early 1940s until NATO standardized Alfa, Bravo, Charlie in 1956. It is the source of the phrase "Able Baker Charlie" and still shows up in period military radio logs and old movies.
- Why does Charlie spell C in more than one alphabet?
- Charlie has been reused across several spelling alphabets, including both the NATO standard and the older US Army legacy alphabet, because it is unambiguous to pronounce and recognize over noisy radio in most languages, so several separate alphabets kept it rather than replacing it.
Keyboard shortcuts: press ? anywhere on this page to see them.