Air carrier flight crew reported ATC canceled take off clearance in error due to similar call signs.

Attributes
ACN	1540672
Time
Date	201805
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	MEM.Airport
State Reference	TN
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Large Transport
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	First Officer Pilot Not Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine
Person 2
Function	Pilot Flying Captain
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown

Narrative:

Start and taxi were uneventful. Memphis tower cleared us for takeoff on runway 18R. I acknowledged with 'flight X runway 18R cleared for takeoff'. The captain was pilot flying and began to advance the throttles and released the brakes. Tower then immediately responded with 'flight X cancel takeoff clearance.' the captain reduced the throttles to idle and performed the rejected takeoff. We had only just begun to roll. As pilot monitoring; I responded with 'flight X copies cancel takeoff clearance.' tower then responded with something like 'flight X understand you need time on the runway?' we responded negative. Tower then made a call to flight Y. Another voice came on the tower frequency and apologized and informed us that there was a similar sounding call sign on the other tower frequency for runway 18L. The tower controller had confused the two and issued the 'cancel takeoff clearance' call to us instead of flight Y as the controller was broadcasting simultaneously on both tower frequencies. We performed the rejected takeoff checklist; accomplished an after landing; and before takeoff checklist; taxied back to the approach end of runway 18R and took off. The rest of the flight was uneventful.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Air carrier flight crew reported ATC canceled take off clearance in error due to similar call signs.

Narrative: Start and taxi were uneventful. Memphis Tower cleared us for takeoff on Runway 18R. I acknowledged with 'Flight X Runway 18R Cleared for Takeoff'. The CAPT was pilot flying and began to advance the throttles and released the brakes. Tower then immediately responded with 'Flight X cancel takeoff clearance.' The CAPT reduced the throttles to idle and performed the rejected takeoff. We had only just begun to roll. As pilot monitoring; I responded with 'Flight X copies cancel takeoff clearance.' Tower then responded with something like 'Flight X understand you need time on the runway?' We responded negative. Tower then made a call to Flight Y. Another voice came on the Tower frequency and apologized and informed us that there was a similar sounding call sign on the other Tower frequency for Runway 18L. The Tower Controller had confused the two and issued the 'cancel takeoff clearance' call to us instead of Flight Y as the controller was broadcasting simultaneously on both Tower frequencies. We performed the RTO checklist; accomplished an after landing; and before takeoff checklist; taxied back to the approach end of Runway 18R and took off. The rest of the flight was uneventful.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.