• Leviathan@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    11
    ·
    5 months ago

    For the layperson you have to do the “[letter] as in [phonetic alphabet equivalent]” format. Most people will understandably get confused if they ask how to spell your name and you tell them “Alpha-November-Delta-Yankee”. If they’re not used to it or never heard it it’ll sound like you just started having a stroke.

    • BCsven@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      5 months ago

      I guess i watched a bunch of war movies as a kid; because as an adult mid 20s somebody on the phone spelled out their software code using phonetic alphabet, it took me a split second to process the unexpected, but then knew it was the first letter from osmosis i guess

    • TheHarpyEagle@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      5 months ago

      My problem is that I absolutely blank when coming up with words to use, even if it’s my own damn name. At least this gives me a standard set to work with.

    • BigPotato@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      I’ve tried that before but I get back to NATO accidentally. A as in Apple, I as in India, R as in… Uh… Romeo.

    • Trainguyrom@reddthat.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      I’ll often just say sound-alike letters phonetically but other letters spelled out for brevity. “A-R-N as in Nancy-O-L-D as in Delta”