the phonetic alphabet

[Abitrary]

Point of order Mr Speaker... that's not the phonetic alphabet you're all talking about. It's called the 'international radiotelephony spelling alphabet' and sometimes referred to as the 'NATO phonetic alphabet' or the 'military alphabet'. It is not, as any phonetician will tell you, in any way shape or form a 'phonetic alphabet'. Next you'll be telling me that IPA is a beer. Sheesh!

I guess any speakable, and I suppose therefore hearable, alphabet is phonetic by its nature.

I just think that we should be learnt a standard one without giggling and procrastinating from the minute we get our mumps jabs.

The only people who seem capable of it are foreign call centre workers, and they get messed up when they get stuff like 'er, f for fist****', WHAT????? 'er f for fencepost'...

 

[Melvil]

I guess any speakable, and I suppose therefore hearable, alphabet is phonetic by its nature.

I just think that we should be learnt a standard one without giggling and procrastinating from the minute we get our mumps jabs.

The only people who seem capable of it are foreign call centre workers, and they get messed up when they get stuff like 'er, f for fist****', WHAT????? 'er f for fencepost'...

I must admit to a rather bad habit I seem to have picked up regarding the phonetic alphabet. Sometimes, when a particularly dense customer service operative asks me to spell something over the phone I use my very own phonetic alphabet with the most confusing words I can think of, like 'Quorn, Xylophone, Knight, Phobos' etc.

 

[yenrod]

For some reason I always think of fiddle for W quickly replaced by W-iskey phew... when on the phone: what a disgracefull mind I have

 

[John Ponting]

Q - Quebec

There was a version went around back in the sixties or seventies - can only remember the start:
A for 'orses
B for Mutton
C for thHighlanders

so that'll be Q for Fish !

 

[Abitrary]

I use my very own phonetic alphabet with the most confusing words I can think of, like 'Quorn, Xylophone, Knight, Phobos' etc.

This is the problem I'm talking about!!!! Albeit with good, and obviously erudite intentions, you have effectively released a small phonetic virus into call centre telebabble.

 

[Pete]

I think we've had all this before - ah yes, here, my fault I'm afraid...

Point of order Mr Speaker... that's not the phonetic alphabet you're all talking about. It's called the 'international radiotelephony spelling alphabet'

When I first learnt it, in my stint in the CCF at school, 'Phonetic Alphabet' was what it was, no ifs no buts. And when I complained that, "Please, Sir, it isn't the Phonetic Alphabet at all", the Petty Officer* told me to (well, I'd better not say what the Petty Officer told me to do...).

*I was in the Naval division.

 

[stevenb]

The American phonetic is weird compared to ours....but that says it all really.

 

[Abitrary]

Does noone else think it should be taught in primary school whilst the brain is malleable though? I really think we are losing millions a day through letters going to different streets, and people receiving tins of mango instead of tango from tesco delivery

 

[wafflycat]

A - alpha
B - bravo
C - charlie
D - delta
E - echo
F - foxtrot
G - golf
H - hotel
I - india
J - juliet
K - kilo
L - lima
M - mike
N - november
O - oscar
P - papa
Q - quebec
R - romeo
S - sierra
T - tango
U - uniform
V - victor
W - whisky
X - x-ray
Y - yankee
Z - zulu

When the offspring was in the St.John Ambulance Cadets he had to learn that as part of learning how to use radio communication. So I had it drummed into me.. Mind you, it's one of those things, I find, if you don't use it, you lima-oscar-sierra-echo it

 

[Abitrary]

When the offspring was in the St.John Ambulance Cadets he had to learn that as part of learning how to use radio communication. So I had it drummed into me.. Mind you, it's one of those things, I find, if you don't use it, you lima-oscar-sierra-echo it

Thanks waffly, i have given it another read for consolidation, but fear I will still say 'o for 'otel' in moments of call centre stress.

H should be Hannukah, because nothing sounds like that, whereas motel sounds like hotel

 

[Abitrary]

P - papa

ok. I retract this whole thread. There is no way that I am going to say 'papa' like a gay child lost at the circus.

papa

No way I'm I saying that to an Indian call centre operative who I have already attempted to make cry.

I think I normally use pencil for P

 

[Pete]

H should be Hannukah, because nothing sounds like that, whereas motel sounds like hotel

Chanukah? Depends on how you pronounce your gutturals. Say: "ח" is for "חנוכה"

 

[Intelligenthamster]

I know it and often use it over the phone quoting postcodes. More than once I have been accused of being a police officer because I have done so...

I have also been asked by call centre staff what I mean by Quebec... "Sorry? or Quebec with a K....?"

Perhaps we should have a beer related version :

Adnams, Brains, Copperwheat, Dark Star, Erdinger, Fuggles, Greene King, Harveys, IPA, John Smiths, Kriek, Leffe, Marstons, Newcastle, Old Peculier, Pint, Q (at the bar), Round (it's yours), Summer Lightning, T.E.A., fUllers, Very large pint, Wheat Beer, XXXX, Youngs, eliZabethan.

Hic!

 

[Abitrary]

Chanukah? Depends on how you pronounce your gutturals. Say: "ח" is for "חנוכה"

Knickers?

 

[Pete]

Knickers?

Knear eknough ...

Oh, and BTW, 'K' is for N-O-R-W-I-C-H.