My mother has a difficult time hearing over the phone and often asks us to spell out a word. Recently she has begun asking us to spell with the "A as in apple" method. On our last call she asked, "Is there a word for spelling like that?" I didn't know - does anyone else?

welcome, jeanine!

apparently, that type of alphabet is called a "phonetic" alphabet:

NATO
and
a whole bunch of stuff! (though some of the links are mad broken)

Thank you!

A as in Aesthete
B as in Bdellium
C as in Ctenoid
D as in Djinn
.
.
.

A for ism
B for mutton
C for highlanders
D for ential
E for brick
...
...

F for vessence

Sometimes we get a little carried away trying to outdo ourselves.
Welcome jeanine hope you stay with us.
Can't you and your mother simple come up with a standard
set of letters (A as in apple, B as in boy, C as in Charlie)
and have it at hand when talking???

"Phonal" is as close as I cold come without spending all morning at it. Here are some other possibilities:

http://onelook.com/?w=*&loc=revfp2&clue=phonetic+a-as-in-apple

G for with.
jeanine, don't worry. They are carried away by alphabêtism.