Certain letters of the alphabet sound alike over the air, like « A » and « H » & « B » and « V. » To avoid confusion, a Phonetic Alphabet Scheme is used in dispatching and routine communications. It works by using specific words to represent each letter of the alphabet.
For example: a police unit requesting a vehicle license plate check on a California license plate of « KDL837A » would say:
« 10-28/29, California, King-David-Lincoln-8-3-7-Adam »
Another example is when a police unit is requesting a background check on a person. Using my name, he would say:
« 10-27 on a last of, Frank-Lincoln-Ocean-Robert-Edward-Sam, First of Robert-Union-Boy-Edward-Nora »
The dispatcher would immediately know he was asking for a check on « Flores, Ruben »
There are two common Phonetic Alphabet Schemes used nationwide. Law enforcement primarily use the variation on the left while fire agencies primarily use the one on the right.
| Law Enforcement | Fire/EMS & Military |
| A | Adam | N | Nora | A | Alpha | N | November | |
| B | Boy | O | Ocean | B | Bravo | O | Oscar | |
| C | Charlie | P | Paul | C | Charlie | P | Papa | |
| D | David | Q | Queen | D | Delta | Q | Quebec | |
| E | Edward | R | Robert | E | Echo | R | Romeo | |
| F | Frank | S | Sam | F | Foxtrot | S | Sierra | |
| G | George | T | Tom | G | Golf | T | Tango | |
| H | Henry | U | Union | H | Hotel | U | Uniform | |
| I | Ida | V | Victor | I | India | V | Victor | |
| J | John | W | William | J | Juliet | W | Whiskey | |
| K | King | X | X-ray | K | Kilo | X | X-ray | |
| L | Lincoln | Y | Young | L | Lima | Y | Yankee | |
| M | Mary | Z | Zebra | M | Mike | Z | Zulu |