Spanish phone greeting

ALO

Think of how you might answer a ringing phone in Spain or Latin America—it’s shorter than "hola" and sounds like a single syllable.

In Spanish-speaking countries, answering the phone with "¡Alo!" is as common as saying "hello" in English. The clue plays on this cultural norm, where the greeting is often shortened to just "alo" in writing or casual speech. Since crosswords favor concise answers, the three-letter version fits perfectly.