# BIP 39 1. [[Bitcoin Improvement Proposal (BIP)|Bitcoin Improvement Proposal ]] 39 (BIP 39) allows for the generation of a human-readable 12-24 word recovery phrase for [[Hierarchical-Deterministic (HD)|hierarchical-deterministic (HD)]] wallets. With the recovery phrase, users can regenerate an HD [[wallet]] that has become lost or damaged. Because they hold such access, BIP39-enabled recovery phrases should be kept secret and stored securely.