When a text is composed of pronounceable words,
the words are spoken as such. When a text is encrypted,
the groups are transmitted by the phonetic equivalents
of the individual letters and without the proword I
SPELL. For example, the encrypted group DRSRM is
spoken “DELTA, ROMEO, SIERRA, ROMEO,
MIKE” and is counted as one group.
PRONUNCIATION OF NUMERALS
You must use care in distinguishing numerals from
similarly pronounced words. When transmitting
numerals, you may use the proword FIGURES
preceding such numbers. For example, the text of an
R/T message contains the phrase “From Ten
Companies.” There is a possibility that the phrase
would sound like “From Tin Companies” if spoken as it
is written. An operator, therefore, could use the
proword FIGURES when this phrase is reached in the
text by saying “From FIGURES One Zero Companies.”
The operator could also use the proword I SPELL here.
For example, upon reaching the same phrase in the text
of the message, an operator could transmit “From Ten, I
SPELL, TANGO, ECHO, NOVEMBER, Ten,
Companies.”
When numerals are transmitted, their correct
pronunciation is as follows:
The numeral 0 is always spoken as “zero,” never as
“oh.” Decimal points are spoken as “day-see-mal.”
Numbers are transmitted digit for digit except that
exact multiples of thousands are spoken as such. There
are, however, special cases, such as antiair warfare
reporting procedures, when the normal pronunciation
of numerals is prescribed and digit-for-digit
transmission does not apply. For example, in the case
given, the number 17 is pronounced “seventeen”; not
“one seven.” The following is a list of numbers and
their normal R/T pronunciation:
DECIMALS, DATES, AND
ABBREVIATIONS
As we mentioned earlier, the decimal point is
spoken as “day-see-mal.” For example, 920.4 would be
spoken as “Niner Too Zero Day-see-mal Fower.”
Dates are spoken digit for digit, with the months
spoken in full. For example, the date 20 September is
spoken as “Too Zero September.”
There are some rules that you should remember
concerning abbreviations in the text of an R/T message.
For example, initials are spoken phonetically when
used alone or with short titles. The phrase “Para A” is
spoken as “Para Alfa.” The initials “ACP” would be
spoken as “Alfa Charlie Papa.”
Personal initials are spoken phonetically, prefixed
by the proword INITIALS. For example, the name “W.
T. DOOR” would be spoken as “INITIALS Whiskey
Tango Door.”
Familiar abbreviations that are frequently used in
normal speech may be transmitted in abbreviated form
on R/T. For example, the word “NATO” is spoken as
“NATO.” The ship “USS Canopus” is spoken as “USS
Canopus.”
PUNCTUATION
When punctuation is necessary in an R/T message,
the punctuation is pronounced as follows:
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