Skip to content
Nautical Know How
  • Our Courses

      All our courses are engaging, interactive and fun! Whether formal training or simply looking to brush up, we take online learning to the next level.

      • Sailing EssentialsFreeA free course great for anyone who spends time on the water.
      • Essential Navigation & SeamanshipRYA course for beginners. Learn charts, tides, pilotage, and core seamanship with simple practice tasks.
      • Day Skipper TheoryMost PopularRYA course for inshore skippers. Plan day passages using chartwork, tides, weather, and COLREGs.
      • Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster® TheoryComing SoonRYA course for advanced navigation and passage planning. Work with secondary ports, tidal streams, and offshore weather.
      • SRC (VHF) Marine Radio CourseRYA Short Range Certificate radio course. Study online, then take the practical exam with an RYA assessor.
  • Directory

      Are you looking for something nautical related? Our directory is an extensive list of courses and places associated with the marine industry. Hop over and search now.

      • Places
        Find anywhere nautical, including marinas & training centres. If it exists, we’ve got it listed!
      • Courses
        We help you navigate through the complex world of training and help find what’s best for you.
  • Know-How

      We believe every day’s a school day on a boat! That’s why we built Nautical Know-How, dedicated to answering your questions. Even better, if it can’t answer your question immediately, you can request it, and we’ll add it to our knowledge base.

      • Nautical Terms & Terminology
        Understanding the language of the marine world is like trying to learn a pirate’s secret code while juggling fish. Let us explain why a sheet isn’t for your bed, why “heave ho” doesn’t mean throw up (most of the time), and why “dead reckoning” is surprisingly less ominous than it sounds.
      • Why do we have tides?
        Have you ever wondered what causes the tides? Check out this video, which introduces the forces that create the tides we experience on Earth.
      • What causes our weather?
        A video introducing the drivers behind our weather, part of our RYA Day Skipper & RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster® Offshore theory courses.
      • Buoyage Flashcards
        Flashcards designed to help remember the buoys in the IALA system. If you want to learn them in detail, our module ‘Getting in and out of harbour‘, covers the IALA system and different buoys used.
      • Interactive Rule Book (COLREGs / IRPCS)
        Whether you’re a novice sailor or a seasoned skipper, we can help you navigate the IRPCS confidently and clearly. Our easy-to-use, easy-to-understand, plain English rule book with helpful interpretations of what each rule means.
      • The Salty Sea Blog
        From salty old sea dogs to fresh-faced deckhands, this blog is for anyone who finds peace, adventure, and a bit of mischief on the water. So hoist the main, set your course, and let’s sail into the stories, lessons, and musings that make life on the sea so irresistible.
  • Chandlery
Sign In Join now—it’s Free
Nautical Know How
  • Our Courses

      All our courses are engaging, interactive and fun! Whether formal training or simply looking to brush up, we take online learning to the next level.

      • Sailing EssentialsFreeA free course great for anyone who spends time on the water.
      • Essential Navigation & SeamanshipRYA course for beginners. Learn charts, tides, pilotage, and core seamanship with simple practice tasks.
      • Day Skipper TheoryMost PopularRYA course for inshore skippers. Plan day passages using chartwork, tides, weather, and COLREGs.
      • Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster® TheoryComing SoonRYA course for advanced navigation and passage planning. Work with secondary ports, tidal streams, and offshore weather.
      • SRC (VHF) Marine Radio CourseRYA Short Range Certificate radio course. Study online, then take the practical exam with an RYA assessor.
  • Directory

      Are you looking for something nautical related? Our directory is an extensive list of courses and places associated with the marine industry. Hop over and search now.

      • Places
        Find anywhere nautical, including marinas & training centres. If it exists, we’ve got it listed!
      • Courses
        We help you navigate through the complex world of training and help find what’s best for you.
  • Know-How

      We believe every day’s a school day on a boat! That’s why we built Nautical Know-How, dedicated to answering your questions. Even better, if it can’t answer your question immediately, you can request it, and we’ll add it to our knowledge base.

      • Nautical Terms & Terminology
        Understanding the language of the marine world is like trying to learn a pirate’s secret code while juggling fish. Let us explain why a sheet isn’t for your bed, why “heave ho” doesn’t mean throw up (most of the time), and why “dead reckoning” is surprisingly less ominous than it sounds.
      • Why do we have tides?
        Have you ever wondered what causes the tides? Check out this video, which introduces the forces that create the tides we experience on Earth.
      • What causes our weather?
        A video introducing the drivers behind our weather, part of our RYA Day Skipper & RYA Coastal Skipper / Yachtmaster® Offshore theory courses.
      • Buoyage Flashcards
        Flashcards designed to help remember the buoys in the IALA system. If you want to learn them in detail, our module ‘Getting in and out of harbour‘, covers the IALA system and different buoys used.
      • Interactive Rule Book (COLREGs / IRPCS)
        Whether you’re a novice sailor or a seasoned skipper, we can help you navigate the IRPCS confidently and clearly. Our easy-to-use, easy-to-understand, plain English rule book with helpful interpretations of what each rule means.
      • The Salty Sea Blog
        From salty old sea dogs to fresh-faced deckhands, this blog is for anyone who finds peace, adventure, and a bit of mischief on the water. So hoist the main, set your course, and let’s sail into the stories, lessons, and musings that make life on the sea so irresistible.
  • Chandlery
Sign In Join now—it’s Free
Published:25th October 20241st January 2025 Last Updated:1st January 2025
Phonetic Alphabet | Signals & Communication

Papa

https://nauticalknowhow.mysailingcourse.com/wp-content/uploads/Papa.mp3

Pronounced: pah-pah

The term for the letter P in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet.

Related Content:
  • Signalling & Communication
Icon

NATO Phonetic Alphabet

This crib sheet provides a clear and easy-to-follow reference for the NATO Phonetic Alphabet — the internationally recognised system used to spell out letters clearly over radio or telephone. From “Alpha”...More Details
Crib Sheets, Free Download, VHF Marine Radio
Login or Register to View or Download

Letter

Phonetic Word

Pronunciation

A

Alpha

AL fah

B

Bravo

BRAH voh

C

Charlie

CHAR lee 
(or SHAR lee)

D

Delta

DELL tah

E

Echo

ECK oh

F

Foxtrot

FOKS trot

G

Golf

golf

H

Hotel

ho TELL

I

India

IN dee ah

J

Juliett

JEW lee ETT

K

Kilo

KEY loh

L

Lima

LEE mah

M

Mike

mike

N

November

no VEM ber

O

Oscar

OSS cah

P

Papa

pah PAH

Q

Quebec

keh BECK

R

Romeo

ROW me oh

S

Sierra

see AIR rah

T

Tango

TANG go

U

Uniform

YOU nee form
(or OO nee form)

V

Victor

VIK tah

W

Whiskey

WISS key

X

Xray, x-ray

ECKS ray

Y

Yankee

YANG key

Z

Zulu

ZOO loo

Number

Phonetic Word

Pronunciation

1

One

WUN

2

Two

TOO

3

Three

TREE

4

Four

FOW-er

5

Five

FIFE

6

Six

SIX

7

Seven

SEV-en

8

Eight

AIT

9

Nine

NIN-er

0

Zero

ZE-RO

00

Hundred

HUN-dred

000

Thousand

TOU-SAND

.

Decimal

DAY-SEE-MAL

Quick Links

  • Join NowJoin now and get access to great content and free courses.
  • Nautical Know HowEverything nautical, explained simply.
  • Marine DirectoryFind Courses and Course Providers.
  • Community Views & NewsNews, views, tips’n’tricks.
  • Contact UsGet in touch, we love talking to people on our wavelength.

RYA Recognised Training Centre No: 920567214

Crafted with

Made with love

by My Sailing Course

Follow us:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X
  • TikTok
  • YouTube

Running on

Powered by

© 2025 – My Sailing Course (Part of The Sailing Business Ltd) | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Partnership Programme

Join for Free!

Join for free and get access to lots of resources and downloads, including our Sailing Essentials course.

Forgot Password?
Lost your password? Enter your email address and you will receive a unique code enabling you to create a new password.
Change
Please choose a new password for your entry in our ship's log.

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on X
  • Email this Page

What are you looking for?

  • Sign In
  • Register
Forgot Password?
Lost your password? Enter your email address and you will receive a unique code enabling you to create a new password.
Change
Please choose a new password for your entry in our ship's log.
body::-webkit-scrollbar { width: 7px; } body::-webkit-scrollbar-track { border-radius: 10px; background: #f0f0f0; } body::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb { border-radius: 50px; background: #dfdbdb }