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Modern professions · maritime English

Maritime English: safety and radio

Mayday, Pan-Pan, lifeboat, muster station, Say again — 20 words you must be able to say without hesitation. With audio, phonetics, simple explanations and examples based on the IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCP).

  • 20 words
  • Audio and phonetics
  • Signals and drills
  • 3 exercises
  • Free
To the wordsPractice

Words safety depends on

In an emergency there’s no time to search for words. That’s why seafarers use the IMO Standard Marine Communication Phrases (SMCP): short, unambiguous and the same for every crew in the world.

Mayday, Pan-Pan and Sécurité, life-saving equipment and drill orders are tested in Marlins and CES, and practised on board every month.

Safety and radio

Distress signals, life-saving equipment, drills and radio phrases. Tap to hear.

Speed
  1. the radio call for grave and immediate danger
  2. the radio call for an urgent but not life-threatening situation
  3. the radio call before a safety or weather warning
  4. a boat for leaving the ship in an emergency
  5. a vest that keeps you afloat
  6. a ring thrown to a person in the water
  7. an inflatable raft for survivors
  8. where everyone gathers in an emergency
  9. an emergency practice
  10. a device for putting out fires
  11. someone has fallen into the sea
  12. the order for everyone to leave the ship
  13. when two ships hit each other
  14. when a ship hits the sea bottom
  15. water coming into the ship
  16. serious danger needing help
  17. please repeat (on the radio)
  18. I have finished; please reply
  19. the conversation is over, no reply needed
  20. how far you can see

Practice: test yourself

10 words from the list per round. After every answer you hear the word and the right option lights up.

Choose an exercise

How to practise

  • Learn the difference: Mayday — danger to life, Pan-Pan — urgent but no direct danger, Sécurité — a safety warning.
  • Say radio messages out loud: who is calling, who is called, what happened, where, what help is needed. Over — waiting for a reply, Out — the call is finished.
  • Review the words before every drill so they come to you when you need them.

FAQ

Didn’t find your answer? Send us a request — we’ll tell you everything.

What’s the difference between Mayday, Pan-Pan and Sécurité?

Mayday is the distress signal: grave and immediate danger to a ship or people. Pan-Pan is urgency: an important message without direct danger to the ship (an injured person, engine failure). Sécurité is for safety of navigation: gale and navigational warnings. Each is said three times.

Why not say “Over and out”?

Over means “I’ve finished, please reply”, and Out means “the call is over, no reply needed”. Together they contradict each other, so SMCP uses only one.

How do I ask someone to repeat on the radio?

Say “Say again”, not “Repeat”. In SMCP the word repeat is used when you repeat an important part of your own message.

What’s next

Next step

Keep learning with a mini-course

Short online courses by Slay School teachers: a 15-minute lesson a day with audio, exercises and dialogues, and the words you forget come back on their own.

  • Day 1 is free
  • 15 minutes a day, at your own pace
  • Every word has audio
  • Lifetime access once paid
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All you need to start is an email or a Google account.