3 – Three (TREE)

The standard maritime radiotelephony pronunciation of the digit three.

It is spoken as “TREE” when transmitting figures clearly by voice. The initial sound is deliberately distinct and belongs to a standard set of numeral pronunciations, not to the letter spelling alphabet.

The International Code of Signals also has a numeral pennant for three, shown on this page. That pennant is a visual symbol and must not be confused with the spoken pronunciation.

Flag

Number Pennant Three (3)

Nautical or signal flags are used at sea to convey long-range messages. Only black, blue, red, white and yellow are used because these are the only colours readily distinguished at sea. Many different coding schemes have been used, but the International Code is the most common.