For US student pilots
ATC phraseology cheat sheet
One page to keep on the kneeboard: the standard words and exactly what each one commits you to, how numbers are spoken, what must be read back, the squawk codes, and the two emergency calls. Every line comes from the Pilot/Controller Glossary or the AIM, with the paragraph, so you can check it.
The standard words
These are the Pilot/Controller Glossary definitions, in our own words. The one most students get wrong is “roger”: it means only that you received the transmission, never yes or no, and never that you will comply.
| Term | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ROGER | "Roger" means: I have received all of your last transmission. It should not be used to answer a question requiring a yes or no — use "affirmative" or "negative". | |
| WILCO | "Wilco" means: I have received your message, understand it, and will comply with it. | |
| AFFIRMATIVE; NEGATIVE | "Affirmative" means yes. "Negative" means no, permission not granted, or that is not correct. | |
| UNABLE | "Unable" indicates inability to comply with a specific instruction, request or clearance. | |
| STAND BY | "Stand by" means the controller or pilot must pause for a few seconds, usually for a higher-priority duty, or wait as in "stand by for clearance". It is not an approval or a denial; the caller should re-establish contact if the delay is lengthy. | |
| SAY AGAIN | "Say again" requests a repeat of the last transmission, usually specifying the portion not understood — "say again all after (fix)". | |
| VERIFY; CORRECTION | "Verify" requests confirmation of information ("verify assigned altitude"). "Correction" means an error has been made in the transmission and the correct version follows. | |
| TRAFFIC IN SIGHT; NEGATIVE CONTACT | Reply to traffic advisories with "traffic in sight" when previously issued traffic is seen, or "negative contact" when it is not in sight (which may be followed by a request for help avoiding it). "Negative contact" also reports being unable to reach ATC on a frequency. | |
| HAVE NUMBERS | "Have numbers" tells ATC the pilot has received runway, wind and altimeter information only. | |
| LINE UP AND WAIT (LUAW) | "Line up and wait" tells a pilot to taxi onto the departure runway, line up and wait. It is NOT authorisation for takeoff; it is used when takeoff clearance cannot immediately be issued. | |
| CLEARED FOR THE OPTION | "Cleared for the option" authorises a touch-and-go, low approach, missed approach, stop-and-go or full-stop landing at the pilot's discretion. Pilots should advise ATC if they decide to remain on the runway, delay a stop-and-go, delay clearing the runway, or are unable to comply. | |
| GO AROUND | "Go around" instructs the pilot to abandon the approach to landing; additional instructions may follow. Unless otherwise advised, a VFR aircraft overflies the runway while climbing to pattern altitude and enters the pattern via the crosswind leg. | |
| SQUAWK (Mode, Code, Function) | "Squawk (code)" instructs the pilot to activate the transponder and ADS-B Out on that code with altitude reporting enabled: "squawk five seven zero seven". | |
| RESUME OWN NAVIGATION | "Resume own navigation" advises the pilot to resume their own navigational responsibility, issued after a radar vector is complete or radar contact is lost while being vectored. | |
| FUEL REMAINING; MINIMUM FUEL | Fuel remaining is stated as the approximate number of MINUTES the flight can continue, including reserves. "Minimum fuel" tells ATC the aircraft can accept little or no delay on reaching destination — an advisory, not an emergency, though an emergency is possible should undue delay occur. | |
| MAYDAY; PAN-PAN | MAYDAY is the international distress signal: repeated three times it indicates imminent and grave danger and that immediate assistance is requested. PAN-PAN is the urgency signal: repeated three times it indicates uncertainty or alert, followed by the nature of the urgency. |
The first call, every time
Facility; full identification (type plus registration, no “N”); position, always when on the airport; the request, or the type of message to follow (AIM 4-2-3 a 1). Add the ATIS letter. Add “student pilot” if you are one (AIM 4-2-4 c). Never abbreviate your identification until the controller has (AIM 4-2-4 a 2).
What must be read back
With your call sign, every time: the runway assignment, any clearance to enter a runway, any hold-short or line-up-and-wait instruction (AIM 4-3-18 a 9); altitudes, headings and runway assignments when airborne, in the order given; and the runway, with left, right or center, in the first readback of any taxi, departure or landing clearance (AIM 4-4-7 b). Wind, traffic and readability are acknowledged, not read back.
Numbers, in one line each
Altitudes below 18,000 feet: the thousands digit by digit plus the hundreds (“one two thousand five hundred”), round thousands as such (“four thousand five hundred”) (AIM 4-2-9). Frequencies: digits with “point” (“one two two point one”) (AIM 4-2-8 e). Headings: three digits (“heading one zero zero”) (AIM 4-2-10). Altimeter: the word then four digits (“altimeter two niner niner two”) (AIM 4-2-8 d). Time: four digits, Zulu (AIM 4-2-12). “Niner” for nine, “fife” and “tree” are correct but rarely heard.
Squawk codes
1200 VFR unless assigned; 7500 hijack; 7600 radio failure; 7700 emergency (AIM 4-1-20). Ident only when asked (4-1-20 d). Change codes without passing through 7500, 7600 or 7700 (4-1-20 e 1). When radar service ends, “squawk VFR” means set 1200 (4-1-15 b 2).
Airspace, in one line each
Class B: an explicit clearance, “cleared into the Class Bravo”, before entry (AIM 3-2-3 b). Class C and D: two-way communication established, meaning a reply that uses your call sign, before entry (AIM 3-2-4 c 3, 3-2-5 b 3). Class E and G: no radio requirement, but self-announce on the CTAF at a non-towered airport, airport name first and last (AIM 4-1-9 g 8).
Emergencies
MAYDAY, three times, for distress; PAN-PAN, three times, for urgency (AIM 6-3-1 c). On the frequency in use, or 121.5 (6-3-1 h). Then, in order: who you are calling, your identification, the nature of the emergency, weather, your intentions, position and heading, altitude, fuel remaining in minutes, people on board (AIM 6-3-2 a 3). Squawk 7700 if you cannot immediately raise anyone (6-3-2 a 2).
Saying letters & numbers
Phonetic alphabet
Use it for your identification on initial contact, for single letters (taxiways, runway left/right), and to spell anything hard to hear. [AIM 4-2-7]
Numbers
- Each digit
- Most numbers are spoken digit by digit: 10 is “one zero”. Say “niner” for 9, “tree” for 3, “fife” for 5. [AIM 4-2-8 d, 4-2-7]
- Hundreds & thousands
- Round hundreds and thousands up to 9,900 are spoken as such: 500 “five hundred”; 4,500 “four thousand five hundred”. Above 9,900, separate the thousands digits: 10,000 “one zero thousand”. [AIM 4-2-8 a, b]
- Altitudes
- Below 18,000 feet: the separate digits of the thousands plus the hundreds — 12,500 is “one two thousand five hundred”. At and above 18,000: “flight level one niner zero”. [AIM 4-2-9]
- Frequencies
- Each digit, with the decimal spoken “point”: 122.1 is “one two two point one”. (ICAO says “decimal”; the FAA honours it from aircraft required to use ICAO procedures.) [AIM 4-2-8 e]
- Headings & winds
- Three digits, magnetic: heading 100 is “heading one zero zero”; wind 220 is “wind two two zero”. [AIM 4-2-10]
- Speeds
- Digits then “knots”: “two five zero knots”. [AIM 4-2-11]
- Altimeter
- “Altimeter” then the four digits: 29.92 is “altimeter two niner niner two”. Never QNH, never hectopascals.
- Time
- UTC, four digits: 0920 is “zero niner two zero”; “Zulu” may be said. Minutes only where no confusion is likely. [AIM 4-2-12]
Quick quiz — name the letter
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Acknowledging & reading back
Acknowledge every call-up and clearance with your identification — at the start or the end — and one of the standard words. [AIM 4-2-3 c]
- Wilco
- Received, understood, will comply. [P/CG]
- Roger
- Received all of your last transmission. Never an answer to a yes/no question. [P/CG]
- Affirmative / Negative
- Yes / No. [P/CG]
- Unable
- Cannot comply with the instruction. Say what you can do instead. [P/CG]
- Say again
- Repeat — “say again all after (fix)”. [P/CG]
- Stand by
- A pause, not an approval or a denial. Call again if the wait is long. [P/CG]
What must be read back
- Runway assignments
- The runway, including left/right/center, in the first readback of a taxi, departure or landing clearance. [AIM 4-4-7 b 4]
- Hold-short instructions
- Word for word. ATC is required to obtain this readback. [AIM 4-3-18 a 9, 10]
- Any clearance to enter a runway
- Line up and wait, cross runway (number), cleared for takeoff. [AIM 4-3-18 a 9]
- Altitudes, vectors, altitude restrictions
- In the sequence given, with your identification. [AIM 4-4-7 b 2]
- Squawk codes and frequency changes
- Read back the code; acknowledge the frequency. [AIM 4-2-3 d]
- Not read back
- Wind, traffic information, weather — acknowledged, never required.
November Five Charlie Tango, roger, cleared to land runway nine left.
Runway three six left, taxi via Alpha, hold short of taxiway Charlie, Cessna Six Zero Foxtrot.
Distress & urgency — MAYDAY and PAN-PAN
MAYDAY, three times, for imminent and grave danger; PAN-PAN, three times, for an urgent condition that is not yet distress. MAYDAY commands silence on the frequency; PAN-PAN warns others not to interfere. [AIM 6-3-1 c, d; P/CG]
The message, as many elements as necessary, preferably in this order: [AIM 6-3-2 a 3]
- MAYDAY ×3 or PAN-PAN ×3
- The station addressed — or “any station” if no reply
- Your identification and type
- The nature of the distress or urgency
- Weather
- Your intentions and request
- Position and heading — or, if lost, last known position, time and heading since
- Altitude
- Fuel remaining in minutes
- Number of people on board
- Anything else useful
MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY, NorCal Approach, Cessna One Seven Two Sierra Papa, engine failure, forced landing in a field, five miles south of Palo Alto heading three six zero, two thousand feet, fuel one hour, two people on board.
Squawk 7700 if you cannot reach a facility. 121.5 MHz is the emergency frequency if the one in use is not preferable. Climb if you can — for radio range and radar. [AIM 6-3-1 h, 6-3-2 a 1, 2]
The cheat sheet is the start; saying it is the skill
TowerTalk grades every call against these same rules, with the paragraph for each point, at a real US airport with an AI controller that answers what you said.
Related
Study aid, written in our own words from the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual (Change 3, 7/9/26) and the Pilot/Controller Glossary, with paragraph references so you can check each point. Last reviewed 10 September 2026; awaiting review by a US flight instructor. It does not reproduce those documents and is not a substitute for them — always defer to the AIM, the current FAA publications, your instructor and your examiner. TowerTalk is not approved or endorsed by the FAA.