P

What does "Papa" mean?

In the NATO phonetic alphabet, the letter P is represented by the codeword Papa, pronounced pah-PAH. When spelling over radio, phone, or in person in noisy environments, you say "Papa" to unambiguously indicate the letter P.

History & etymology

Stressed on the second syllable (PAH-PAH) in ICAO usage, unusual in English but deliberately international.

How to use it

Say "Papa" whenever you need to specify the letter P 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 P, you might say "Papa as in Papa" 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 P below. For the full 26-letter chart with pronunciation and history, visit the NATO alphabet reference page. Prefer to memorize it? Try our flashcards.