Phonetic Alphabet for Police & Law Enforcement
A complete guide to the spelling alphabets used by police departments across the US — including the LAPD system, NYPD variants, and when federal agencies use NATO instead.
The Police Phonetic Alphabet (APCO)
The police phonetic alphabet was developed by the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) in 1940 — sixteen years before NATO adopted its own. The APCO system uses common American names that were familiar to officers but was never designed for international use. While APCO officially recommended switching to NATO in 1974, most large US departments kept their legacy system.
| Letter | LAPD / APCO | NATO |
|---|---|---|
| A | Adam | Alfa |
| B | Boy | Bravo |
| C | Charles | Charlie |
| D | David | Delta |
| E | Edward | Echo |
| F | Frank | Foxtrot |
| G | George | Golf |
| H | Henry | Hotel |
| I | Ida | India |
| J | John | Juliett |
| K | King | Kilo |
| L | Lincoln | Lima |
| M | Mary | Mike |
| N | Nora | November |
| O | Ocean | Oscar |
| P | Paul | Papa |
| Q | Queen | Quebec |
| R | Robert | Romeo |
| S | Sam | Sierra |
| T | Tom | Tango |
| U | Union | Uniform |
| V | Victor | Victor |
| W | William | Whiskey |
| X | X-ray | X-ray |
| Y | Young | Yankee |
| Z | Zebra | Zulu |
Highlighted rows show where LAPD and NATO differ.
How Agencies Differ
When Police Use NATO vs APCO
Common Police 10-Codes
Police use 10-codes alongside the phonetic alphabet for rapid communication. Here are the most universal ones — note that codes vary by department, so always check local SOPs.
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 10-4 | Acknowledged / OK |
| 10-7 | Out of service |
| 10-8 | In service |
| 10-20 | Location / "What is your 20?" |
| 10-33 | Emergency — all units stand by |
| 10-99 | Officer needs help — emergency |
| 10-4 | Message received |
| 10-6 | Busy / stand by |
| 10-21 | Call by telephone |
| 10-76 | En route |