K in the Military Alphabet: Kilo

In the military alphabet, the letter K is Kilo, pronounced KEY-loh. It is the eleventh code word of the NATO/ICAO phonetic alphabet, adopted in its current form in March 1956. Before that, K had been "King" for more than three decades.

Why "Kilo"?

Kilo is the metric prefix for one thousand, from the Greek chilioi, and it is the only unit prefix among the 26 code words. There is an older precedent for using it: the ITU's 1932 international spelling alphabet assigned K the word "Kilogramme." When ICAO built its new alphabet, a short, two-syllable word already embedded in the measurement systems of most countries was a natural fit — easy to say, hard to mistake, and meaningful to speakers of English, French, and Spanish alike. Kilo appeared in ICAO's 1951 list and survived the testing that forced out five other words before 1956.

K Across Spelling Alphabets

K is unusual in that its predecessors agreed: both the RAF 1924 alphabet and the WWII Able Baker alphabet used "King," giving the word an unbroken run of over thirty years before Kilo displaced it in 1956.

Kilo in the Field

Ground controllers hand out Kilo daily in taxi instructions — "taxi to Runway 27 via Kilo" — because airport taxiways are lettered and always spoken phonetically. Kilo Company sits in the 3rd Battalion of a US Marine regiment, between India and Lima. The word is also a NATO reporting name: the Soviet Project 877 diesel-electric attack submarines, still in service with several navies, are universally known as the Kilo class.

"K as in Kilo" on the Phone

It's Kowalski with a K — K as in Kilo, not C as in Charlie.

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 K in the military alphabet?

K is Kilo, pronounced KEY-loh. It is the eleventh code word of the NATO/ICAO phonetic alphabet and has represented K since March 1956.

How do you pronounce Kilo?

The ICAO pronunciation is KEY-loh, with the stress on the first syllable — "key," then "loh."

What was K before it was Kilo?

"King" — and unusually, two successive alphabets agreed on it. The RAF used King from 1924, the WWII US-UK Able Baker alphabet kept it, and Kilo only replaced it in 1956. The ITU's 1932 alphabet had separately used "Kilogramme."

What is a Kilo-class submarine?

Kilo is the NATO reporting name for the Soviet Project 877 diesel-electric attack submarine. Western militaries assign reporting names from the phonetic alphabet and other word lists so foreign equipment can be discussed unambiguously over radio.

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