What is the correct spoken form of 4,500 feet MSL when communicating with air traffic control?

What is the correct spoken form of 4,500 feet MSL when communicating with air traffic control?

• A. FOUR THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED FEET.
• B. FOUR THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED.
• C. FOURTEEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED.
• D. FOUR THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED.

Answer: (B)

In aviation radiotelephony, you pronounce altitudes by grouping the number into thousands and hundreds, spoken as two simple chunks. For 4,500, the correct form is “four thousand five hundred.” This clearly communicates the value without ambiguity. Saying “fourteen thousand five hundred” would mean 14,500, which is incorrect. Using a comma (“four thousand, five hundred”) isn’t how numbers are spoken for ATC, so that pause isn’t used in standard phraseology. The unit (“feet”) is often understood from context, and some exam formats present the numeric form without the unit, which is why this option matches the expected spoken form.

In aviation radiotelephony, you pronounce altitudes by grouping the number into thousands and hundreds, spoken as two simple chunks. For 4,500, the correct form is “four thousand five hundred.” This clearly communicates the value without ambiguity.

Saying “fourteen thousand five hundred” would mean 14,500, which is incorrect. Using a comma (“four thousand, five hundred”) isn’t how numbers are spoken for ATC, so that pause isn’t used in standard phraseology. The unit (“feet”) is often understood from context, and some exam formats present the numeric form without the unit, which is why this option matches the expected spoken form.