To amend the route of flight in a previously issued clearance, the correct phraseology is _____________

• A. CHANGE (portion of route) TO READ (new portion of route)
• B. ALTER (portion of route) TO READ (new portion of route)
• C. UPDATE (portion of route) TO READ (new portion of route)
• D. CHANGE (portion of route) TO READ (new portion of route)

Answer: (D)

To amend a previously issued clearance, use the standard phraseology that clearly specifies which part of the route is changing and then provides the new text to insert. Saying “Change (portion of route) to read (new portion of route)” does two things at once: it identifies the exact segment being modified, and it communicates the new routing to be substituted. The words are chosen because this is the accepted way to request a modification to an existing clearance and to invite the pilot to read back the updated portion for confirmation.

The verb change is the proper one for amendments to an issued clearance, and the structure with “to read” ensures the controller and pilot are aligned on the exact new routing. Using other verbs like alter or update isn’t the standard in this context, and omitting the “to read” part could lead to miscommunication about what exactly is being changed.