Alpha
In marine terminology, “Alpha” typically refers to the first letter of the NATO phonetic alphabet, used for clear communication of letters and numbers over radio or telephone. The term “Alpha” is used to represent the letter “A” in the phonetic alphabet system.
In international waters, under the International Rules for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea, the Alpha Flag signifies, “I have a diver down; keep well clear at slow speed.” It is used to communicate the same message as the Diver Down Flag but is recognised internationally.
Flag
Code Flag Alpha (A)
Nautical or signal flags are used at sea to convey messages over long distances. Only black, blue, red, white and yellow are used because these are the only colours readily distinguished at sea. Many different coding schemes have been used, but the International Code is the most common.
Phonetic Numbers
| Number | Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Zero | Ze-Ro |
| 1 | One | Wun |
| 2 | Two | Too |
| 3 | Three | Tree |
| 4 | Four | Fow-Er |
| 5 | Five | Fife |
| 6 | Six | Six |
| 7 | Seven | Sev-En |
| 8 | Eight | Ait |
| 9 | Nine | Nin-Er |
Phonetic Alphabet
| Letter | Word | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A | Alpha | Al Fah |
| B | Bravo | Brah Vo |
| C | Charlie | Char Lee |
| D | Delta | Dell Tah |
| E | Echo | Eck Oh |
| F | Foxtrot | Foks Trot |
| G | Golf | Golf |
| H | Hotel | Hoh Tell |
| I | India | In Dee Ah |
| J | Juliett | Joo Lee Ett |
| K | Kilo | Kee Loh |
| L | Lima | Lee Mah |
| M | Mike | Mike |
| N | November | No Vem Bah |
| O | Oscar | Oss Cah |
| P | Papa | Pah Pah |
| Q | Quebec | Key Bek |
| R | Romeo | Ro Me Oh |
| S | Sierra | See Air Rah |
| T | Tango | Tang Go |
| U | Uniform | You Knee Form |
| V | Victor | Vik Tah |
| W | Whisky | Wiss Key |
| X | X-ray | Ecks Ray |
| Y | Yankee | Yang Kee |
| Z | Zulu | Zoo Loo |