Navajo Code Talker Symbols

The unwritten and unbroken Diné (Navajo) code used in World War II was elegant in its simplicity, which made it easy to translate quickly and accurately—if you knew the complex Diné language. Navajo Code Talkers used common Diné words for each letter of the English alphabet to construct a message. Most letters could be represented by more than one word. For example, the letter “a” could be encoded by several Diné words that start with “a” in English:  woláchíí (ant), bilasáana (apple), or tsénił (ax). If a Code Talker wanted to transmit the word “man,” he could say: hastiin (man), woláchíí (ant), neeshch’ii (nut). Not all words were spelled out like this. About 450 military terms were assigned Diné words. For example, dahiitį́hí (hummingbird) meant “fighter plane.” Because the Diné always connect their work to spiritual powers, it likely the Code Talkers had prayers and songs for the code.