Military Alphabet · Letter D
D in the Military Alphabet: Delta
Code word, pronunciation, history, and how to use it when spelling out loud
In the military alphabet, the letter D is Delta, pronounced DELL-tah. The word has held the D position since the NATO phonetic alphabet took effect in March 1956, having first appeared in ICAO's 1951 alphabet. Before Delta, radio operators said Dog.
Why "Delta"?
Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, and like Alpha it was picked for international recognition: the word already existed in English, French, and Spanish, helped by the triangular landform at a river's mouth that is named for the letter's shape. It met the working criteria Jean-Paul Vinay applied for ICAO — pronounceable by aircrew regardless of native language, distinct from every other code word, and clean over a degraded radio channel. Unlike C, M, N, U, and X, whose 1951 words were all swapped out after comprehension testing, Delta passed and went into the final 1956 alphabet unchanged.
D Across Spelling Alphabets
| Alphabet | Word for D |
|---|---|
| NATO/ICAO | Delta |
| LAPD | David |
| Western Union | Denver |
| German (Classic) | Dora |
| German (DIN 5009:2022) | Düsseldorf |
| French | Désiré |
| Spanish | Dolores |
| Italian | Domodossola |
| Able Baker (WWII, historical) | Dog |
| RAF 1924 (historical) | Don |
British operators said 'Don' from WWI signalese through the RAF's 1924 alphabet, and WWII's Able Baker alphabet used 'Dog.' Delta replaced Dog when the current alphabet took effect in 1956.
Delta in the Field
Delta sits at the top of several escalation scales: FPCON Delta is the highest US force protection condition, declared when a terrorist attack has occurred or is expected imminently. The US Army's 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta is universally shortened to Delta Force. In military time zones, Delta designates UTC+4. Aviation, though, long had a peculiar problem with this letter: at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson, surrounded by Delta Air Lines traffic, controllers called taxiway D 'Dixie' for decades so a ground instruction could not be mistaken for an airline callsign — a workaround the FAA retired in 2020.
"D as in Delta" on the Phone
The email is under Diaz — D as in Delta, I as in India, A as in Alpha, Z as in Zulu.
More on spelling out names and codes call-side in the phone spelling guide, and every letter's "as in" word is on the letters-as-words page. To convert whole words instantly, use the free military alphabet translator.
ONE TO REMEMBER
For decades, taxiway D at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson — Delta Air Lines' home hub — was called 'Dixie' on the radio to keep ground instructions distinct from the Delta callsigns crowding the frequency. In August 2020 the FAA permanently renamed it plain taxiway D, like at every other airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is D in the military alphabet?
D is Delta, pronounced DELL-tah. It is the fourth word of the NATO phonetic alphabet, in use since March 1956.
How do you pronounce Delta?
DELL-tah, with the stress on the first syllable. ICAO's pronunciation guidance renders it DELL TAH.
What was D before Delta?
Dog, in the WWII US-UK Able Baker alphabet. Earlier, British WWI signalese and the RAF's 1924 alphabet both used Don.
Why was Atlanta's taxiway D called Dixie?
With Delta Air Lines callsigns crowding the frequencies at its Hartsfield-Jackson hub, 'Delta' could be misheard as an airline callsign rather than taxiway D, so controllers said 'Dixie' instead. The FAA retired the name in August 2020, and it is now plain taxiway D.
Every Letter A–Z
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