Navajo Code Talker

The Code


To decipher a message coded by the Navajo Code Talkers, the recipient first translated the Navajo words into English, and then used the first letter of each English word to decipher the meaning. Because different Navajo words might be translated into different English words for the same letter, the code was especially difficult to decipher. For example, for the letter "A," the Code Talker could use "wol-la-chee" (ant), "be-la-sana," (apple), or "tse-nill" (ax). Some military terms that had no equivalent in Navajo were assigned their own code word. The word America, for example, was "Ne-he-mah" (Our mother). Submarine became "besh-lo" (iron fish).

Navajo Code Talker photos
From the National Archives, Navajo Code Talker photos and captions.

Navajo Code Talkers' Dictionary
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER

For suggested links, and comments, please email:
webmaster@navajo-indian.org