4.1 Procedural Words and Phrases
Key Takeaways
- RIC-21 §5.5 forbids slang such as OK, REPEAT, TEN-FOUR, OVER AND OUT, BREAKER BREAKER, and COME IN PLEASE—use Appendix B words only
- OVER means “I expect a response”; OUT means “conversation ended, no response expected”—never use OVER and OUT together
- ROGER acknowledges receipt only; WILCO means received, understood, and will be complied with (do not stack ROGER + WILCO)
- SAY AGAIN asks the other station to repeat; I SAY AGAIN means you are repeating your own words for clarity or emphasis
- MAYDAY / MAYDAY RELAY, PAN PAN, and SEELONCE / SEELONCE MAYDAY / SEELONCE FEENEE are reserved emergency/silence terms with precise meanings
4.1 Procedural Words and Phrases
Quick Answer: RIC-21 §5.5 requires standard radiotelephone phraseology. Do not use slang such as OK, REPEAT, TEN-FOUR, OVER AND OUT, BREAKER BREAKER, or COME IN PLEASE. Learn the official meanings in Appendix B, especially the pairs OVER/OUT, ROGER/WILCO, and SAY AGAIN/I SAY AGAIN.
Clear procedure words are the shared vocabulary of Canadian aeronautical VHF. Examiners test whether you know the exact meaning of each word and which everyday CB/telephone habits are banned. This section is the map of Appendix B; later chapters show the words inside full call formats, distress, and urgency procedures.
Why §5.5 bans slang
RIC-21 states that while it is not practical to set down precise phraseology for every situation, slang expressions should not be used. The circular lists classic failures:
| Banned slang | Why it fails |
|---|---|
| OK | Ambiguous; not an official acknowledgment word |
| REPEAT | Ambiguous—repeat what you said, or ask me to repeat? Official request is SAY AGAIN |
| TEN-FOUR | CB slang; not Appendix B |
| OVER AND OUT | Self-contradictory—see OVER vs OUT below |
| BREAKER BREAKER | CB channel-entry slang; not aeronautical |
| COME IN PLEASE | Non-standard invitation; use proper call format and GO AHEAD / OVER as appropriate |
If a transmission feels “chatty,” rewrite it with Appendix B words before you press PTT. Superfluous or non-standard chatter also collides with the regulations chapter (no superfluous communications).
Full Appendix B study table (RIC-21)
Memorize word → meaning. Prefer the circular’s wording on exam day.
| Word or phrase | Meaning (RIC-21 Appendix B) |
|---|---|
| ACKNOWLEDGE | Let me know that you have received and understood this message |
| AFFIRM | Yes |
| BREAK | Separation between portions of the message (when text and other parts are not clearly distinct) |
| CLEARED | Authorized to proceed under the conditions specified |
| CONFIRM | Have I received the following …? / Did you receive the message? |
| CORRECTION | An error has been made; the correct version is … |
| DISREGARD | Consider this transmission as not sent |
| GO AHEAD | Proceed with your message |
| HOW DO YOU READ? | What is the readability of my transmission? |
| I SAY AGAIN | I repeat for clarity or emphasis |
| MAYDAY | I am in distress (international radiotelephony distress signal; preferably three times) |
| MAYDAY RELAY | Spoken distress relay signal |
| MONITOR | Listen (on frequency) |
| NEGATIVE | No, or that is not correct, or I do not agree |
| OUT | Conversation is ended and no response is expected |
| OVER | My transmission is ended and I expect a response from you |
| PAN PAN | International urgency signal (preferably three times); safety concern that does not require immediate assistance |
| READ BACK | Repeat all, or the specified part, of this message back to me exactly as received |
| ROGER | I have received all of your last transmission |
| ROGER NUMBER | I have received your message Number _____ |
| SAY AGAIN | Request a repetition of the last transmission |
| STANDBY | I must pause; please wait and I will call you |
| SEELONCE | Silence has been imposed on the frequency due to a distress situation |
| SEELONCE FEENEE | The distress situation has ended (normal working may resume after proper cancellation procedure) |
| SEELONCE MAYDAY | Distress in progress; silence command from the station in control of distress traffic |
| WILCO | Your instructions received, understood, and will be complied with |
| WORDS TWICE | (a) Request: send each word/group twice; (b) Information: I will send each word/group twice |
Group the list by job (memory aid)
| Job on frequency | Words |
|---|---|
| Yes / no | AFFIRM, NEGATIVE |
| Receipt vs compliance | ROGER, ROGER NUMBER, WILCO, ACKNOWLEDGE, READ BACK |
| Turn-taking | OVER, OUT, GO AHEAD, STANDBY, BREAK |
| Fixing content | CORRECTION, DISREGARD, CONFIRM, SAY AGAIN, I SAY AGAIN, WORDS TWICE |
| Clearance / listen | CLEARED, MONITOR |
| Emergency / silence | MAYDAY, MAYDAY RELAY, PAN PAN, SEELONCE, SEELONCE MAYDAY, SEELONCE FEENEE |
| Readability | HOW DO YOU READ? |
High-yield pairs the exam loves
OVER versus OUT (never together)
| Word | Meaning | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| OVER | My transmission is ended and I expect a response | You asked a question, delivered a report that needs a reply, or completed a call-up inviting the other station to speak |
| OUT | Conversation is ended and no response is expected | You are finished; the other station should not answer |
OVER AND OUT is banned slang because the two words cancel each other: you cannot both invite a reply and declare that no reply is expected. Use one or the other, never both.
Operational feel:
- End of a call-up or message that needs a reply → OVER
- Final acknowledgment that closes the exchange → often OUT (or a short ROGER closing pattern as taught in calling procedures)
ROGER versus WILCO
| Word | Meaning | Does it promise action? |
|---|---|---|
| ROGER | I have received all of your last transmission | No—receipt only |
| WILCO | Instructions received, understood, and will be complied with | Yes—compliance |
Exam traps:
- ROGER is not “yes” (that is AFFIRM) and is not “I will do it.”
- WILCO already includes understanding and compliance; stacking ROGER WILCO is unnecessary and non-standard.
- If ATC says READ BACK, do not answer with bare ROGER—read back the specified items.
SAY AGAIN versus I SAY AGAIN
| Phrase | Who is repeating? | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| SAY AGAIN | You ask the other station to repeat | You missed all or part of their transmission |
| I SAY AGAIN | You repeat your own words | Clarity or emphasis |
Related tools:
- CORRECTION — you made an error; last correct word/phrase, then the fixed text.
- DISREGARD — treat the transmission as not sent.
- WORDS TWICE — poor channel; send (or request) doubled words/groups.
- Partial repeats (taught in §5.7.3): SAY AGAIN ALL BEFORE … / … TO … / ALL AFTER …
Distress, urgency, and silence words (preview)
You will drill full formats in the emergency chapters. For Appendix B now:
- MAYDAY — grave/imminent danger; immediate assistance (preferably three times).
- MAYDAY RELAY — you are relaying another station’s distress.
- PAN PAN — urgency concerning safety, not requiring immediate assistance (preferably three times).
- SEELONCE / SEELONCE MAYDAY / SEELONCE FEENEE — silence imposed / distress in progress under control station / distress ended. Pronounce the French-origin forms as trained (not English “silence” slang).
Do not invent “EMERGENCY” as a substitute distress signal on the exam.
Everyday operational words
| Situation | Prefer |
|---|---|
| Invite the other station to send their traffic | GO AHEAD |
| You need a short pause | STANDBY (optionally with minutes of delay, per reply procedures) |
| Ask if the copy was correct / whether they got it | CONFIRM |
| Require exact copy back | READ BACK |
| Authorize under conditions | CLEARED |
| Tell them to listen on a frequency | MONITOR |
| Split two message parts that would blur together | BREAK |
| Check signal quality | HOW DO YOU READ? (with readability scale 1–5 in §5.7.5) |
| Numbered messages | ROGER NUMBER (fill in the message number) |
Mini scenarios (map slang → standard)
| Bad / slang habit | Standard alternative |
|---|---|
| “OK, got it” | ROGER (receipt) or WILCO (will comply) or AFFIRM (yes) |
| “Repeat that” | SAY AGAIN (or partial SAY AGAIN form) |
| “Ten-four” | ROGER / WILCO as appropriate |
| “Over and out” | OVER or OUT, not both |
| “Come in please” | Proper call: station called, THIS IS, your call sign, frequency if required, OVER |
| “Breaker breaker” | Never—use standard call-up |
Exam checklist
- Can I list at least five banned slang items from §5.5?
- Can I define every Appendix B word without mixing pairs?
- Do I never combine OVER with OUT?
- Do I treat ROGER as receipt-only and WILCO as compliance?
- Do I know who repeats when I hear SAY AGAIN vs I SAY AGAIN?
Official source
RIC-21 Issue 3 (February 2010), section 5.5 Procedural Words and Phrases and Appendix B – Procedural Words and Phrases, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED; formerly Industry Canada). Use the current RIC-21 text on the ISED website if the circular is revised.
According to RIC-21 §5.5, which expression should NOT be used on the aeronautical radiotelephone?
What does the procedural word OVER mean in RIC-21 Appendix B?
How does WILCO differ from ROGER under RIC-21 Appendix B?