English for Hotel – International Alphabet, Telling Number and Time

Last Updated by Zulfahmi.M On: 18 Juni 2026

Theme: Reservation

Focus: Grammar

A. International Spelling Alphabet

Spelling alphabet is used to provide correct information between people with a different language background. To spell a complicated name correctly, spelling alphabet can be used to make it clearer especially on the phone. There are several spelling alphabets, but the most widely used one is the Nato phonetic alphabet, which is also used in aviation, for example, between a pilot and the control tower.

A	for	Alpha	N	for	November
B	for	Bravo	O	for	Oscar
C	for	Charlie	P	for	Papa
D	for	Delta	Q	for	Quebec
E	for	Echo	R	for	Romeo
F	for	Foxtrot	S	for	Sierra
G	for	Golf	T	for	Tango
H	for	Hotel	U	for	Uniform
I	for	India	V	for	Victor
J	for	Juliet	W	for	Whiskey
K	for	Kilo	X	for	Z-ray
L	for	Lima	Y	for	Yankee
M	for	Mike	Z	for	Zulu

B. Telling Numbers

For dates with the month and day, we usually use the cardinal number in writing. However, when telling dates we always use the ordinal number in speaking.

• 1^st         = the first           
• 3^st         =the third           
• 4^th         =the fourth       
• 5^th         =the fifth            
• 6^th         =the sixth           
• 7^th         =the seventh    
• 8^th         =the eighth       
• 9^th         =the ninth          
• 10^th       =the tenth         
• 11^th       =the eleventh  
• 12^th       =the twelfth     
• 13^th       =the thirteenth               
• 14^th       =the fourteenth              
• 15^th       =the fifteenth  
• 16^th       =the sixteenth 
• 17^th       =the seventh
• 19^th       =the nineteenth
• 20^th       =the twentieth
• 21^st        =the twenty-first
• 30^th       =the thirtieth
• 32^nd      =the thirty-second
• 40^th       =the fortieth
• 43^rd       =the forty-third
• 50^th       =the fiftieth
• 60^th       =the sixtieth
• 70^th       =the seventieth
• 80^th       =the eightieth
• 90^th       =the ninetieth
• 100^th     =the hundredth
• 101^st     =the one hundred and first

C. Telling dates, months, and years

It is written one of two ways as follows:

1. The US, the date format is month-day-year

• July 8, 2016 (month, day, comma, year): We say July the eighth/ twenty, sixteen

2. In the UK, the date format is day-month-year

• 8 July 2016 (day, month, year): We say The eighth of July/ twenty, sixteen

C. Telling telephone number and credit card number

1. When you tell a telephone number, group the number and say each number individually.

• 081-975-8823: oh eight one, nine seven five, eight eight two three

2. When you repeat back a credit card number to a customer, group the numbers in blocks of four.

• 3347 4574 8473 8508: double three four seven, four five seven four, eight four seven three, eight five zero eight

Note:

• US English eight eight, UK English double eight.
• Use oh or zero for 0.