O

What does "Oscar" mean?

In the NATO phonetic alphabet, the letter O is represented by the codeword Oscar, pronounced OSS-car. When spelling over radio, phone, or in person in noisy environments, you say "Oscar" to unambiguously indicate the letter O.

History & etymology

The given name, selected because the initial 'O' vowel sound is unique among the other codewords.

How to use it

Say "Oscar" whenever you need to specify the letter O aloud. Common situations: dictating an email address or license plate over the phone, reading a serial number to technical support, making a radio call in aviation or maritime contexts, or simply avoiding the common confusion between similar-sounding letters (B/D/P/T, M/N, F/S).

Example

If your name starts with O, you might say "Oscar as in Oscar" when spelling it out — or use the NATO alphabet for your whole name using our translator.

Neighboring letters

Explore the codewords for the letters before and after O below. For the full 26-letter chart with pronunciation and history, visit the NATO alphabet reference page. Prefer to memorize it? Try our flashcards.