Colonial wireless alphabet

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 NATO phonetic alphabet used for 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 five out of twenty-six have been identified as canonical to Battlestar Galactica.

Letter	Word	Pronunciation
A	Alfa Alpha Template:Ref	AL FAH
B	Bravo Template:Ref	BRAH VOH
C	Constellation Template:Ref	CON STELL EH SHUN
D	Delta Template:Ref	DELL TAH
E	Echo	ECK OH
F	Foxtrot	FOKS TROT
G	Golf	GOLF
H	Hotel	HO TELL HOH TELL
I	India Template:Ref	IN DEE AH
J	Juliett Template:Ref Juliet	JEW LEE ETT
K	Kilo	KEY LOH
L	Lima	LEE MAH
M	Mike	MIKE
N	Nebula Template:Ref	NEH BEW LAH
O	Oscar	OSS CAH
P	Papa	PAH PAH
Q	Quebec Template:Ref	KEH BECK
R	Romeo Template:Ref	ROW ME OH
S	Sierra Template:Ref	SEE AIR RAH SEE AIR AH
T	Tango	TANG GO
U	Uniform	YOU NEE FORM or OO NEE FORM (ICAO, ITU)
V	Victor	VIK TAH
W	Whiskey	WISS KEY
X	X-ray	ECKS RAY (ICAO, ITU) ECKS RAY (FAA)
Y	Yankee Template:Ref	YANG KEY
Z	Zulu Template:Ref	ZOO LOO

Notes

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