Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 117; Flight Crew Type 139
Communication Breakdown; Confusion
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
Cleveland Center asked if we wanted a fix further down our route. We requested BERYS or RUBYY. Cleveland Center cleared us to BERYS or what we believed was BERYS. We changed frequencies and checked on with Toronto Center. Toronto confirmed we were direct BERYS. Several minutes later he confirmed again direct BERYS and spelled if phonetically this time. He spelled BEERI. We advised we were cleared to what we believed was BERYS. The Controller told us to proceed direct BEERI.
We thought we were cleared direct to BERYS intersection. That's what we read back. Toronto later asked us if we were going direct BERRI. Apparently; that's where we were originally cleared. These two intersections are very close together and it's very hard over a VHF radio to distinguish one from another.
B767 flight crew reported a track heading deviation due to similar sounding fix names BEERI and BERYS.