T

What does "Tango" mean?

In the NATO phonetic alphabet, the letter T is represented by the codeword Tango, pronounced TANG-go. When spelling over radio, phone, or in person in noisy environments, you say "Tango" to unambiguously indicate the letter T.

History & etymology

The Argentinian dance; the hard T start and nasal middle make it distinctive.

How to use it

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