E in the Military Alphabet: Echo

In the military alphabet, the letter E is Echo, pronounced ECK-oh. Echo is the fifth code word of the NATO (ICAO) phonetic alphabet, and it exists so that E cannot be mistaken for B, C, D, G, P, T, or V — a whole family of letters that sound nearly identical over a weak radio or phone connection.

Why "Echo"?

Echo entered English from Greek by way of Latin: in Greek myth, Echo was the nymph condemned to repeat the words of others, and the word still means a reflected sound. That pedigree made it a strong candidate when ICAO rebuilt the spelling alphabet after World War II, because the selection work demanded live words that speakers of English, French, and Spanish would all recognize — echo, écho, and eco are nearly identical. It appeared in the ICAO alphabet of 1951 and came through the subsequent round of intelligibility testing untouched, joining the final alphabet that took effect on 1 March 1956.

E Across Spelling Alphabets

British operators of the 1920s spelled E as Edward, and the WWII US-UK Able Baker alphabet used Easy. Easy is why the celebrated E Company, 506th Parachute Infantry — the Easy Company of Band of Brothers — carries that name; the same company letter today would be read as Echo.

Echo in the Field

Controllers and pilots say Echo constantly. Class E is the most common controlled airspace in the United States, briefed as 'Class Echo,' and any aircraft registration containing an E is read the same way — N512E checks in as 'November five one two Echo.' The US military letters its companies too, so an E Company answers to 'Echo Company' on the net. On weather radar the word does double duty, since a radar return is itself called an echo.

"E as in Echo" on the Phone

The name is Evans — that's E as in Echo, V as in Victor, A as in Alpha, N as in November, S as in Sierra.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is E in the military alphabet?

E is Echo in the NATO phonetic alphabet, the standard military spelling alphabet. Say 'Echo' any time you need to communicate the letter E without ambiguity.

How do you pronounce Echo?

ECK-oh, with the stress on the first syllable. The ICAO respelling is ECK OH.

What was E in the military alphabet during World War II?

Easy. The US-UK Able Baker alphabet of WWII used Easy for E, which is where the 'Easy Company' of Band of Brothers gets its name. Before that, the RAF's 1924 alphabet used Edward.

What does 'Class Echo' mean in aviation?

Class Echo is radio shorthand for Class E airspace, the most common category of controlled airspace in the United States. Pilots use the phonetic name so the class letter is unmistakable.

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