Editing Colonial wireless alphabet

{{shortcut|CWA}}

The '''Colonial Wireless Alphabet''' is a means of communicating letters via words, thus permitting clarity when communicating spellings over [[wireless]].  This is similar to the [[Wikipedia:NATO phonetic alphabet|NATO phonetic alphabet]] used for [[Wikipedia:radio|radio]] communications.

The following is a list of words used in the CWA.  Those words that are entered into the BSG canon are appropriately indicated via reference links to footnotes.  Those words unlikely are in ''italics'', with appropriate footnotes as to why their usage in the CWA is unlikely.

At present, only six out of twenty-six have been identified as [[canon]]ical to ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]''.

{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #461919; border: 1px #a63000 solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Letter !!align=left| Word !!align=left| Pronunciation
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:A|A]] || '''''Alfa''''' <br>'''Alpha''' {{ref|1}} ||'''AL''' FAH
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:B|B]] ||'''Bravo''' {{ref|2}} ||'''BRAH''' VOH
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:C|C]] ||'''Constellation''' {{ref|3}}||'''CON''' '''STELL''' EH SHUN 
|- 
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:D|D]] ||'''Delta''' {{ref|4}}||'''DELL''' TAH
|- 
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:E|E]] ||'''Echo''' ||'''ECK''' OH
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:F|F]] ||'''Foxtrot''' ||'''FOKS''' TROT 
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:G|G]] ||'''Golf''' ||GOLF
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:H|H]] ||'''Hotel''' ||HO '''TELL''' <br>HOH '''TELL''' 
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:I|I]] ||'''''India''''' {{ref|5}} ||'''IN''' DEE AH
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:J|J]] ||'''''Juliett''''' {{ref|6}}<br>'''''Juliet''''' ||'''JEW''' LEE '''ETT'''
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:K|K]] ||'''Kilo''' ||'''KEY''' LOH
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:L|L]] ||'''Lima''' ||'''LEE''' MAH
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:M|M]] ||'''Mike''' ||MIKE
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:N|N]] ||'''Nebula''' {{ref|7}} ||NEH BEW '''LAH'''
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:O|O]] ||'''Oscar''' ||'''OSS''' CAH 
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:P|P]] ||'''Papa''' ||PAH '''PAH'''
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:Q|Q]] ||'''''Quebec''''' {{ref|8}} ||KEH '''BECK'''
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:R|R]] ||'''''Romeo''''' {{ref|6}}||'''ROW''' ME OH
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:S|S]] || '''Sierra''' {{ref|9}} ||SEE '''AIR''' RAH <br>SEE '''AIR''' AH 
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:T|T]] ||'''Tango''' ||'''TANG''' GO
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:U|U]] ||'''Uniform''' ||'''YOU''' NEE FORM <br>or '''OO''' NEE FORM <font size=-2>(ICAO, ITU)</font>
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:V|V]] ||'''Victor''' ||'''VIK''' TAH 
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:W|W]] ||'''Whiskey''' ||'''WISS''' KEY
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:X|X]] ||'''X-ray''' ||'''ECKS RAY''' <font size=-2>(ICAO, ITU)</font><br>'''ECKS''' RAY <font size=-2>(FAA)</font>
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:Y|Y]] ||'''''Yankee''''' {{ref|10}} ||'''YANG''' KEY
|-
|align=center| [[Wikipedia:Z|Z]] ||'''''Zulu''''' {{ref|11}} ||'''ZOO''' LOO
|}

== Notes ==

# {{note|1}} The phoentic letter "alpha" is used by [[Lee Adama]] after detecting the [[Cylon Heavy Raider]] on approach to ''[[Galactica]]'', in "[[Scattered]]". 
#* It is likely that the word is spelled "alpha", which is the English spelling of the first letter in the [[Wikipedia:Greek alphabet|Greek alphabet]], given the Greek influence in the series. 
#* For reasons why "alfa" is unlikely, see the [[Wikipedia:alfa|alfa]] disambiguation page on Wikipedia.
# {{note|2}} Bravo is used by the [[marine]] strikeforce that boarded the ''[[Astral Queen]]'' in "[[Bastille Day]]".
# {{note|3}} Constellation is used by CPO [[Galen Tyrol]], when reading off the registration number of [[William Adama]]'s old [[Viper|Mark II Viper]] in the [[Mini-Series]]. It is also used by a member of the [[marine]] strikeforce that boarded the ''[[Astral Queen]]'' in "[[Bastille Day]]". ("Constellation team, set.")
# {{note|4}} Delta is used in "[[The Hand of God]]". 
# {{note|5}} India is unlikely as a phonetic spelling of "I", given that it is the [[Wikipedia:India|name of a country]] on [[Earth]].
# {{note|6}} Both Romeo and Juliette/Juliet can be discounted as being used by the Colonials, given that this is a reference to the [[Wikipedia:William Shakespeare|William Shakespeare]] play, ''[[Wikipedia:Romeo and Juliet|Romeo and Juliet]]''.
# {{note|7}} Nebula is used by [[Galen Tyrol]] when reading off the registration number of [[William Adama]]'s old [[Viper|Mark II Viper]] in the [[Mini-Series]].
# {{note|8}} The use of "Quebec" is very unlikely, given that it [[Wikipedia:Quebec|is a province]] in [[Wikipedia:Canada|Canada]], which is on [[Earth]].
# {{note|9}} Sierra is used by [[Lee Adama]] prior to engaging the [[Cylon Heavy Raider]] on approach to ''[[Galactica]]'', in "[[Scattered]]".
# {{note|10}} [[Wikipedia:Yankee|Yankee]] is a slang term used to (1) identify an [[Wikipedia:American|American]] from the [[Wikipedia:U.S. Northeast|northeast United States]], and (2) identify something American by citizens of countries outside the [[Wikipedia:United States of America|United States of America]]. 
# {{note|11}} Zulu is unlikely for the reasons listed on the [[Wikipedia:Zulu (disambiguation)|Zulu disambiguation page on Wikipedia]]. Zulu is also the name of an [[Wikipedia:Zulu|African tribe]].

=== Additional Notes ===

* The use of the word "wilco" is unlikely in the CWA.  It is similar to "roger", "over", et al. See both: [[Talk:Colonial Wireless Alphabet]] and [[Wikipedia:Voice procedure|voice procedure]].
* The term "Colonial Wireless Alphabet" and its acronym "CWA" are [[non-canonical]], used by this Wiki to identify the Colonial wireless phonetic alphabet. 


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