Can You Pass the Military Alphabet Quiz?

By: Jonnathan Chadwick
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Can You Pass the Military Alphabet Quiz?
Image: Asiseeit / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

The military alphabet is officially known as the NATO phonetic alphabetor the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet or the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) phonetic alphabet—and is the most widely used spelling alphabet in the world. It consists of 26 words that correspond to the 26 letters of the English alphabet and was developed to eliminate communication problems that arise because of language differences and low-quality channels. Before the recognition of an international alphabet, navies and armies across the world all had their own version of a spelling alphabet, which caused a ton of confusion when they had to communicate with each other.

In 1920, the first spelling alphabets started making the rounds, and by 1927, a recognized alphabet was created for use. There were several problems with it, and it underwent a few more changes until 1947, when what is commonly known as the Joint Army/Navy alphabet was created. It was also called the Able/Baker alphabet because those were the first two code words in the alphabet. Then the alphabet changed a couple more times until being finalized in 1956. The 1956 version of the alphabet is still in use today and is commonly known as the military alphabet. How well do you know your Alfa Bravo Charlies? Put your skills to the test here.

The code word for the letter "C" is which of these popular names?
Curt
Charlie
Christine
Caitlin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The military code word for the letter "C" is Charlie. The military began adopting code names for each letter in the early 20th century, and the alphabet changed several times before being finalized in 1956. "Charlie" was once "Canada," "Casablanca" and "Coco."

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Who is the female love interest in Shakespeare's famous play about doomed lovers?
Jasmine
Juliett
Justine
Jennifer
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Juliett is the military code name for the letter "J." It was changed from "jig" to "Juliett" in 1956, and unlike Shakespeare's famous character, it's spelled with two "T"s. The name means youthful, and its popularity is on the rise in the United States.

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If you break a bone, your doctor will likely conduct one of these.
X-ray
Colonoscopy
Root canal
Eye exam
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

X-ray is the military code word for the letter "X," and it' remained the same since 1946. An X-ray image can produce an image of the inside of your body and is the easiest way to see how much damage has been done to a broken bone.

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What's the military code word for "D"?
Delta
Diana
David
Dazzle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Delta is the military code word for the letter "D." The code word used to be "dog" in 1946 but was changed to "delta" in 1956. Delta is also the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet or a geographical formation at the mouth of a river.

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How do you say LMAO using the military alphabet?
Oscar Mike Golf
Lima Mike Alfa Oscar
India Mike Hotel Oscar
Tango Golf India Foxtrot
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Using the military alphabet, "LMAO" can be expressed "Lima Mike Alfa Oscar." It would be near pointless to relay this message over the radio, however, and the reason for the military alphabet is radio communications.

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You may want to play this game on a relaxing vacation.
Sprints
Boxing
Golf
Karate
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Golf is the military code word for the letter "G." The code word used to be "George" but was changed in 1956. Golf is a sport that is said to have been invented somewhere in the United Kingdom. It's either very relaxing or very irritating sport depending on how well you're playing.

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If you're the winner of a contest, you could be called the what?
Beggar
Quitter
Victor
Loser
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Victor is the military code name for the letter "V," and it has remained the same through the major changes of the military alphabet. A victor is someone who has won whatever contest they're participating in. It's also a common name for boys.

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How do you say "T," which is also a popular dance?
Tollywop
Tango
Turn
Twist
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tango is the military code word for the letter "T." The code word was "tare" in 1946 and then changed in 1956. Tango is also a popular ballroom dance that originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Some people also use it to describe an orange-yellow color.

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What does "Tango Down" mean?
Down time
Tolerance
Target down
Tranquility
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tango Down is the military alphabet phrase for "Target Down." If you hear over the radio, "Second guard is Tango Down," it means the second wave of the enemy is down. It can also be used to describe a physical target, like a military plane or building.

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Soldiers, police officers and firefighters all have to wear a what?
Uniform
Rifle
Hardhat
Fire-hose
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Uniform is the military code word for the letter "U," and it changed from "uncle" to "uniform" in 1956. A uniform is also a dress code for many professions, like police officers, soldiers and firefighters.

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What does November Golf mean?
No go
Bad day to go golfing
Night goals
Next grade
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Using the military alphabet, "November Golf" is slang for "NG," which is an abbreviation for "no go," which means to fail. Army evaluations are graded "Go" or "No Go," so a cadet who completed his test November Golf is a cadet who failed the test.

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What's another name for an American or a New York baseball player?
Rebel
Soldier
Yankee
Redcoat
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Yankee is the military code name for the letter "Y." The code name changed from "yoke" to "yankee" in 1956, and it's also the name of the most valuable baseball team in the MLB: the New York Yankees.

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How do you say "K"?
Kilo
Karate
Kangaroo
Kayak
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Kilo is the military code word for the letter "K." It was changed from "king" to "kilo" in 1956 and hasn't been changed since. A kilo is a prefix meaning thousand (1,000) and is used as an abbreviation for kilogram, which means 1,000 grams. A kilojoule is 1,000 joules, which are units of energy.

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What does "Echo Tango Suitcase" stand for?
Extra mango sauce
Expiration Term of Service
Examples to use
Earnings plus total
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Using the military alphabet, "Echo Tango Suitcase" is slang for Expiration Term of Service. The term is used to define the end of a soldier's service contract. It's often used humorously in regards to servicemen and women who have no intention of reenlisting.

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What is Charlie's Chicken Farm?
Colonel's Chicken Factory
The local fried-chicken spot
Correctional Custody Facility
Champion's Chicken Farm
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Using the military alphabet, "Charlie's Chicken Farm" is slang for a Correctional Custody Facility (CCF). A CCF can also be called "Charlie Charlie Foxtrot," and it's a low-level military prison. It's usually just barracks surrounded by fencing.

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Which entertainment award shares a name with a code word in the military alphabet?
Webby
Emmy
Tony
Oscar
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oscar is the military code name for the letter "O," and it changed from "oboe" to "Oscar" in 1956. Oscar is also the nickname for the Academy Award statue or it can be a boy's name, most popular in Latin America.

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The code name for "L" is which of these capital cities?
Lima
London
Lisbon
Luxembourg
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lima is the military code name for the letter "L," and it changed from "love" to "Lima" in 1956. Lima is also the capital city in Peru, which is one of 12 South American countries. Peru is home to Machu Picchu and has a population of just more than 32 million citizens.

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How do you say "A," which is also the first letter in the Greek alphabet?
Alfa
Atlas
Arizona
Alta
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Alfa is the military code word for the letter "A." It's commonly spelled "alpha" outside the military, and it's also the first letter of the Greek alphabet, which is one of the oldest alphabets in the world. (Don't get it confused with alfalfa, which is a flowering plant that people and animals eat.)

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If you shout in a canyon, the sound may do what?
Disappear
Avalanche
Echo
Flinch
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Echo is the military code word for the letter "E." Echo is also a noun that defines a sound caused by the reflection of other sound waves. If you stand in an empty cave and yell, you'll probably hear your voice echo.

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Which of these popular names is the code name for "M"?
Matt
Mary
Mike
Melissa
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mike is the military code name for the letter "M" and has been in use in the military alphabet since 1946. It's also a popular abbreviation for the name Michael and is one of the most popular boys names of all time.

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Who is the male love interest in Shakespeare's famous play about doomed lovers?
Richard
Rebecca
Rachel
Romeo
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Romeo is the military code name for the letter "R." It used to be "Roger" in 1946 but was then changed and finalized in 1956. Romeo is most famously known as the protagonist in William Shakespeare's tragic play, "Romeo and Juliet."

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How do you say "F," which is also a popular dance?
Foxtrot
Flank
Floss
Flail
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Foxtrot is the military code name for the letter "F." It was simply "fox" in 1946 but was then changed to "foxtrot." Foxtrot is also a popular ballroom dance that originated in the early 1900s.

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What Canadian province is also an alphabet code word?
Ontario
Alberta
Quebec
Manitoba
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Quebec is the military code name for the letter "Q." Quebec is the second-most populous province in Canada with more than 8.3 million residents. The military code word for the letter "q" changed from "queen" to Quebec in 1956.

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The code word for "H" is what type of accommodation?
House
Home
Hostel
Hotel
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hotel is the military code word for the letter "H," and it changed from "how" in 1946 to "hotel" in 1956. A hotel, as you most likely know, is a type of accommodation frequented by travelers. They can be luxury, boutique, budget or anything between.

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What's the code name for "Z"?
Zeta
Zoo
Zulu
Zigzag
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Zulu is the military code name for the letter "Z." The code name changed from "zebra" to "Zulu" in 1956. Zulu is the ethnic name of a group of people in South Africa where the influential Zulu Kingdom once ruled supreme.

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Which month shares a name with a code word in the military alphabet?
November
October
December
May
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

November is the military code name for the letter "N." It changed from "nan" to "nectar" to "November" and hasn't been changed since. It's the only month to be used as a code name in the military alphabet.

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If you read loud and clear, you might say what?
Lima Tango
Charlie Alfa Lima
Charlie Uniform
Lima Charlie
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Using the military alphabet, "Lima Charlie" is slang for "loud and clear." If your supervisor asks you over the radio whether you understand the instructions that have just been given to you, you may respond, "Lima Charlie."

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How do you tell your troops to continue the mission?
Charlie Mike
Alfa Tango
Charlie Golf
Romeo Bravo
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In military slang, "Charlie Mike" means "continue mission." "Our plane is out, we're going to Charlie Mike." It's not easy to understand someone a couple miles away amid the noises of war, so knowing the slang is essential.

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What's the code name for "I," which is also one of the most-populous countries in the world?
Ireland
India
Israel
Italy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

India is the military code name for the letter "I." The code name for "I" used to be "item." India is the second-most populous country in the world with 1.3 billion citizens. It's the most-populous democracy in the world.

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The code word for the letter "B" is the same as congratulating an opera singer. What is it?
Bless
Brilliant
Bravo
Benefactor
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bravo is the military code name for "B," and it's also a common word used by the audience at an opera. The original meaning of the word is "brave and bold." Over time, these words were combined to form the single word "bravo."

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This popular spirit shares a name with an alphabet code word in the military.
Vodka
Gin
Tequila
Whiskey
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Whiskey is the military code word for the letter "W." It changed from "William" to "whiskey" in 1956. Whiskey is also a popular distilled spirit that comes in several varieties ranging from bourbon and rye, to Irish and Canadian.

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What does "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" mean?
Way too far
WTF!
Where's the front?
When's the food?
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Using the simple rules of the military alphabet, "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" means "WTF," and it's been used by soldiers for this reason since the late 1980s. It's not exactly known where the phrase originated, but it's used in the military and pop culture today.

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What is the code word for "S," which is also an area in America?
Sussex
Sierra
Savannah
Silo
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Sierra is the military code name for the letter "S." The code name changed from "sugar" to "Sierra" in 1956. The Sierra Nevada is the name of a mountain range in the western United States that covers an area of just under 40,000 square miles.

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Which of the following "nicknames" is the code word for "P"?
Papa
Prince
Player
Peach
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Papa is the military code word for the letter "P." The letter "p" was once code named "Peter" back in 1943 but was changed in 1956. Papa is universally recognized as a nickname for fathers and grandfathers everywhere.

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How do you say "well done"?
Charlie Echo
Whiskey Tango
Bravo Zulu
Sierra Golf
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bravo Zulu is the military alphabet phrase for saying "well done." This is confusing, since it'd make sense to use something like "Whiskey Delta" to say "well done," but it isn't the case. Here, "Bravo" is used in the traditional sense of the word. This phrase is used among the navy.

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