Pronunciation: [t͡ʃˈɑːli] (IPA) 
The name "Charlie" is spelled phonetically as /ˈtʃɑːrli/. The /tʃ/ sound is called a voiceless palato-alveolar affricate, and is made by pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth behind the upper teeth, then releasing it to create a "ch" sound. The vowel sound is a long "a", pronounced as in "car", and the final sound is a soft "l". This spelling is commonly used for both boys and girls as a shortened form of the name Charles.
Charlie can refer to various definitions depending on the context:
1. As a personal name: Charlie is a predominantly male given name that originally stood as a diminutive form of Charles or Charlene. It is derived from the Germanic name Karl, meaning "free man" or "manly." Charlie is commonly used as a nickname for individuals named Charles, and it can be short for both first and last names.
2. In the military: Charlie is a letter in the NATO phonetic alphabet that represents the letter 'C.' It is used for clarity in radio and telecommunications, especially in military contexts.
3. In transportation: Charlie can be used to refer to a nickname for the MK4 Sterling submachine gun, which was commonly used during World War II. Additionally, "Charlie" is a colloquial term for the Viet Cong guerrilla fighters during the Vietnam War.
4. Slang and idiomatic usage: In colloquial language, the term "Charlie" is sometimes used as a slang term for cocaine, especially in the UK. Furthermore, it can sometimes refer to a man who is a bit daft, foolish, or unpredictable. This meaning often comes from British comedic or sitcom settings.
Overall, the definition of "Charlie" can vary widely depending on the context in which it is used, ranging from personal names to military designations, transportation nicknames, and even slang terms.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "Charlie" has multiple etymological origins depending on the context or usage. Here are the main origins for three common meanings of the word:
1. Charlie (as a given name):
The name "Charlie" is a diminutive form of the name Charles, which is derived from the Germanic name Karl. Karl, in turn, comes from the Old High German word "karal" meaning "free man" or "manly".
2. Charlie (as a military slang):
During the Vietnam War, the term "Charlie" was used as a military slang for the Viet Cong, referring to the VC abbreviation in the name Viet Cong, where "C" was pronounced as "Charlie". The origins of "Charlie" in this context are strictly related to the phonetic alphabet employed by the U.S. military.
