The Navajo Code Talkers used Navajo words to stand in for English words or phrases.
For instance, de-he-tih-hi (Navajo for “humming bird”) meant “fighter plane” and besh-lo (“iron fish”) meant submarine.
The Code Talkers memorized a special alphabet to spell out uncommon English words, like place-names. In this alphabet, a different Navajo word was used to represent each letter.
a wol-la-chee ant
b shush bear
c moasi cat
d be deer
e dzeh elk
f ma-e fox
g klizzie goat
h lin horse
i tkin ice
j tkele-cho-gi jackass
k klizzie-yazzie kid
l dibeh-yazzie lamb
m na-as-tso-si mouse
n nesh-chee nut
o ne-ahs-jah owl
p bi-so-dih pig
q ca-yeilth quiver
r gah rabbit
s dibeh sheep
t than-zie turkey
u no-da-ih Ute
v a-keh-di-glini victor
w gloe-ih weasel
x al-an-as-dzoh cross
y tsah-as-zih yucca
z besh-do-gliz zinc
