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Phonetic Alphabet usage

watcharacters

By watcharacters
in IT and Computers

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watcharacters Gold Member

watcharacters

Posted
Posted

My question is not just related to Thailand but rather regarding all call centers on the planet earth.

Just moments ago I got off he phone with Agoda.com at the contact number given for Singapore which is +65 6622 1500.

The lady i spoke with was very friendly and helpful to the best of her ability. I'm pretty certain she was not in Singapore as i spoke with her. I'd bet the ranch she was sitting somewhere in India as she talked with me.

I have no grief about that and realize the world changes. the only concern I had with our call is it was nearly impossible for me to understand her. I think the call was clear enough but I nevertheless had issues with comprehension.

Here's my major issue. I asked for the email address of a hotel where i'd made a booking on the promise of the reservation clerk at the hotel. Two email addresses i'd used proved to be obsolete so I asked the Agoda rep to provide me a good email address for the hotel. AS soon as she started to spell the address i asked her to use the phonetic alphabet. It went over her head so we ended up with her emailing the address.

How do you convey the idea of using the phonetic alphabet to representatives at call centers?

I've tried saying such things as speaking the letter A and then say as in Alpha and etc but it's all to often to no avail.

I've found Indians working in call centers in India speak excellent English. The intonation and accent they have, however, leaves me unsure as to what they said.

Again this matter relates to all call centers.

CharlieH Star Member

CharlieH

Posted
Posted

Its all about training, as in

Tango,romeo,alpha,indigo,november,indigo,november,golf.

or tap it out

- .-. .- .. -. .. -. --. biggrin.png

mesquite Gold Member

mesquite

Posted
Posted (edited)

And it is good to learn the phonetic alphabet, not try to make it up on the spot.

I once heard a guy say, "P as in pulley" and "S as in sun"

Both of those defeat the purpose.

Edited by mesquite
dddave Platinum Member

dddave

Posted
Posted

I would imagine there are variations even within a language. Americans say "ZEE" for Z while others say "ZED" US military uses "ZULU" for phonetic Z, What do UK or Australia use?

Banzai99 Gold Member

Banzai99

Posted
Posted

And it is good to learn the phonetic alphabet, not try to make it up on the spot.

I once heard a guy say, "P as in pulley" and "S as in sun"

Both of those defeat the purpose.

Exactly, everybody knows it's P as in Pr-ck and S as in Sh-t.

CharlieH Star Member

CharlieH

Posted
Posted

I would imagine there are variations even within a language. Americans say "ZEE" for Z while others say "ZED" US military uses "ZULU" for phonetic Z, What do UK or Australia use?

Zebra

its the "i" that catches many out

chickenslegs Diamond Member

chickenslegs

Posted
Posted

I would imagine there are variations even within a language. Americans say "ZEE" for Z while others say "ZED" US military uses "ZULU" for phonetic Z, What do UK or Australia use?

Zebra

its the "i" that catches many out

Never heard Zebra in the UK - always Zulu.

Brit_Doggie Silver Member

Brit_Doggie

Posted
Posted (edited)

A Alpha B Bravo C Charlie D Delta E Echo F Foxtrot G Golf H Hotel I India J Juliet K Kilo L Lima

M Mike N November O Oscar P Papa Q Quebec R Romeo S Sierra T Tango U Uniform V Victor W Whiskey

X X-ray Y Yankee Z Zulu.

Is the uk phonetic alphabet.

Edited by Brit_Doggie
kkerry Gold Member

kkerry

Posted
Posted

People who speak perfect English and anyone over 18 still have difficulty passing on all but the most obvious (yourname@) e-mail addresses over the phone. I've tried phonetics but a lot of people still don't get it yet I've been told I'm good at speaking clearly and slowly before.

Wherever possible I get them to text me with the address or in the case of people who have no idea how to text overseas, I text them and ask them to reply.

I don't even ask friends or business associates anymore, if I can get them to text. With any sort of delay on a phone line it all ends up very confusing and ten times worse if English is not their first language...

evadgib Ruby Member

evadgib

Posted
Posted (edited)

I would imagine there are variations even within a language. Americans say "ZEE" for Z while others say "ZED" US military uses "ZULU" for phonetic Z, What do UK or Australia use?

Zebra

its the "i" that catches many out

Never heard Zebra in the UK - always Zulu.

It had my waltometer ticking for a while too smile.png

Isn't this taught at school anymore? I recall having it drummed into me by the age of 14!

Edited by evadgib
KhunHeineken Platinum Member

KhunHeineken

Posted
Posted

When I go through to a call center in India, and need to use the phonetic alphabet, if there is any problems with their understanding of the standard phonetic alphabet, being a keen cricket supporter, I resort to using the names of famous Indian and international cricket players, or cricket related terms like, T for Tendulkar, D for Dhoni, S for Sharma, P for Ponting, B for boundary etc.

We both get a laugh out of it and I get the job done. :)

Tonto21 Gold Member

Tonto21

Posted
Posted

Its all about training, as in

Tango,romeo,alpha,indigo,november,indigo,november,golf.

or tap it out

- .-. .- .. -. .. -. --. biggrin.png

"Hello CharlieH, CharlieH This is Tonto21 I repeat....Tango,romeo,alpha, india ,november,india,november,golf..........Over".

Torrens54 Gold Member

Torrens54

Posted
Posted (edited)

In Australia it is mainly ZEBRA and pronounced as "ZEB-ra". not the American way of "ZEE-bra."

Far be it from me to brag, but when my THAI-born daughter was about to start school in Australia, when we moved back there for a few years, I decided to teach her the Phonetic Alphabet. She was 9 years old at the time, she only took a couple of hours of going over it and she was perfect.

Back here in CNX, aged 14, she is consistently top of her English class and YES... still remembers and uses the Phonetic Alphabet which at times, I suspect has her teachers scratching their heads, in an effort to keep up with her.

Edited by Torrens54
uhuh Silver Member

uhuh

Posted
Posted (edited)

Phonetic alphabet used by Thais spelling English:

[ei æpən] - there is no "as in" between "a" and "apple", if you say "as in" people will not understand you. "Apple" is pronounced Thai style.

You can clarify things by saying "toa ei".

"B boy" - as always, well known monosyllabics are chosen, don't confuse Thais with things like baker (they know bakery, but they don't know baker) or bravo,

C undefined, you can say "c abc" (stress the last c), it helps

"D dog"

"E england"

Many letters don't have a generally accepted definition like "d dog".

H is "etch" or "esh", never aitch, people will not understand aitch

I is generally [toa ai]

Don't use kilo for K, Thais will think of G (kg in Thai is กก) . "K king" may work.

"J Japan" is understandable

"L London" is understandable

("G Germany" is not understandable, neither is "H Hongkong" or "S Singapore")

Educated Thais understand "N Norway". Most Thais do not understand it.

Thais do not see a need to distinguish between m and n, don't force the issue.

P undefined, educated Thais understand "P Peter". Most Thais do not understand it.

Thais do not see a need to distinguish between p and t, don't force the issue.

"[ar]" just like you would say it in English

"S sugar"

"T Thailand"

W is "double u"

X is "(toa) ek" - don't confuse people insisting on a final s. Better with "toa". Do not start talking about X-rays.

Y is "(toa) wai", "toa" is optional.

Z is "[zed zi:bra]"

Most Thais don't grasp the notion of a phonetic alphabet. But many will get the idea once you say things like "b boy". They will then make up their own words and you may hear things like "n no".

Edited by uhuh
evadgib Ruby Member

evadgib

Posted
Posted (edited)

Presumably their pilots operating in foreign airspace follow the same phonetic alphabet as everyone else?

Edited by evadgib
canda Explorer Member

canda

Posted
Posted

Sorry Torrents54, Not sure that zebra was used in Australia, I think you will find that ZULU was used phonetically for Z.

Having spent 15+ years with the RAN Signalling division on a daily basis, as Ifar as I know it was used in the other defence forces also, not sure about civil aviation though.

Cheers, CANDA

  • 2 weeks later...
Argus Tuft Senior Member

Argus Tuft

Posted
Posted

In Australia it is mainly ZEBRA and pronounced as "ZEB-ra". not the American way of "ZEE-bra."

Far be it from me to brag, but when my THAI-born daughter was about to start school in Australia, when we moved back there for a few years, I decided to teach her the Phonetic Alphabet. She was 9 years old at the time, she only took a couple of hours of going over it and she was perfect.

Back here in CNX, aged 14, she is consistently top of her English class and YES... still remembers and uses the Phonetic Alphabet which at times, I suspect has her teachers scratching their heads, in an effort to keep up with her.

Never heard of Zebra being used in the phonetic alphabet in Australia, and I hold a radio operators licence as well as being ex-military and civil aviation licenced.

Always Zulu.

Argus Tuft Senior Member

Argus Tuft

Posted
Posted

A Alpha B Bravo C Charlie D Delta E Echo F Foxtrot G Golf H Hotel I India J Juliet K Kilo L Lima

M Mike N November O Oscar P Papa Q Quebec R Romeo S Sierra T Tango U Uniform V Victor W Whiskey

X X-ray Y Yankee Z Zulu.

Is the uk phonetic alphabet.

Is the international phonetic alphabet, not just UK

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