books are transmitted by voice radio, the voice equivalents of the flags are used. NUMERALS To distinguish numerals from words similarly pronounced, the proword FIGURES may be used before such numbers. Numerals are pronounced as shown in the following examples: Numeral Spoken As 0 ZE-RO 1 WUN 2 TOO 3 TREE 4 FOW er 5 FIFE 6 SIX 7 SEV en 8 AIT 9 NIN-ER NUMBER Pronounced 12 Twelve 44 Fower Fower 90 Niner Ze-ro 136 Wun Tree Six 500 Fife Ze-ro Ze-ro 1,478 Wun Fow-er Seven Ait 7,000 Seven Tou-zand 16,000 Wun Six Tou-zand 812,681 Ait Wun Too Six Ait Wun The numeral 0 is always spoken as zero, never oh. Decimal points are spoken as day-see-mal. In general, numbers are transmitted digit by digit except that exact multiples of thousands are spoken as such. However, there are special cases when the normal pronunciation is prescribed and this rule does not apply. PROWORDS Prowords are pronounceable words or phases that have been assigned meaning to expedite message handling on R/T circuits. Prowords are not to be substituted for textual words. The prowords contained in table 4-2 are authorized for general use. For R/T communication between units of different nationalities, equivalent prosigns may be used instead of prowords. When so used, they are transmitted phonetically. GENERAL PROCEDURES ACP 125 contains the general procedures for R/T communication. To become a good operator, you must follow these procedures and instructions. A few of the general procedures follow: Listen before transmitting. An unauthorized break in transmitting causes confusion and often blocks a transmission in progress. Speak clearly and distinctly. Both slurred syllables and clipped speech are hard to understand. A widespread error among untrained operators is the failure to emphasize vowels sufficiently. Speak slowly. Give the recorder a chance to get it all down. That way you save time and avoid repetitions. Avoid extremes of pitch. A high voice cuts through the interference best, but is shrill and unpleasant if too high. A lower pitch is easier on the ear, but is difficult to understand through background noises if it is too low. Be natural. Maintain a normal speaking rhythm. Group words in a natural manner. Send your message phrase by phrase instead of word by word. Use standard pronunciation. Speak in a moderately strong voice to override unavoidable background noises and prevent dropout. Keep correct distance between lips and microphones. A distance of about 2 inches is correct for most microphones. There are many more general procedures that could make for better transmission. Take time to become familiar with these procedures. Abbreviations Dates within the text should be spoken digit by digit, and the month, in full. Example: 19 Mar is spoken as one nine March. Initials used alone or in conjunction with short titles are to be spoken phonetically. 4-16