Have you ever wondered why it is spelled “Filipino,” not Philippino? The language spoken in Spain is called Spanish, and in Japan, it’s Japanese. So how come the official language of the Philippines is Filipino, not Philippino or Philipino?
The short answer: the country was named after a Spanish king, Felipe, and the Tagalog alphabet has no “ph” sound. The country’s history, particularly the Spanish colonization period, explains the rest.
Filipino Vs Philippino: The Spanish Colonization – King Philip II
Before the country was called the Philippines, the archipelago had no single name. In 1521, the Spanish reached the archipelago through an expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese-born explorer sailing for Spain. He established friendly relations with some local leaders and converted some of them to Roman Catholicism, but he was killed in battle against the forces of a local ruler, Lapulapu.
Learning Tagalog is more than memorizing words
Explore more →
The Spaniards did not stop there and continued to dispatch other expeditions to the archipelago. In 1543, an expedition named the islands Las Islas Filipinas in honor of Philip of Austria, who became Felipe II of Spain in 1556.
Filipino Vs Philippino: How Did It Become Philippines From Filipinas?
Felipe is Philip in English, so the English name of the country is spelled with “Ph.” Las Islas Filipinas became “The Philippine Islands” in English, while the locals today call the country Pilipinas.
Filipino Vs Philippino: Why Filipino, Not Philippino?
Three things explain why the word is spelled Filipino: English never had a suitable word of its own, the Tagalog alphabet has no “ph” sound, and the Constitution names the national language Filipino.
No Suitable English Version
There was never a name in English that was appropriate to describe a Filipino; “Philippine,” “Philippian” or “Philippinian” just didn’t have the proper ring to them. As a result, the Spanish word “Filipino” was taken into English, with its letter F and its suffix “-ino” kept.
Following The Tagalog Alphabet
Another reason Filipino wins over Philippino is the Tagalog alphabet, commonly called the Abakada.
The Tagalog alphabet consists of only 20 letters. It has the letter “p,” with the sounds pa, pe, pi, po and pu, but no “ph” sound, hence the Tagalog word for the country, Pilipinas, and for its citizens, Pilipino. The official language of the Philippines was also called Pilipino in 1959, following the Abakada, but it was changed to Filipino in the 1973 Constitution.
Tagalog spelling also follows the rule “How you say it is how you spell it,” Kung ano ang bigkas, siyang baybay. So it has no silent letters and no sounds like “ph.”
Tagalog Alphabet
| Letter | Name | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | a | “ah” as in father | aso (dog) |
| B | ba | “b” as in boy | bahay (house) |
| K | ka | “k” as in kite | kain (eat) |
| D | da | “d” as in dog | daan (road) |
| E | e | “eh” as in bed | eroplano (airplane) |
| G | ga | hard “g” as in go | gabi (night) |
| H | ha | “h” as in hat | hapon (afternoon) |
| I | i | “ee” as in see | isda (fish) |
| L | la | “l” as in lamp | langit (sky) |
| M | ma | “m” as in man | mata (eye) |
| N | na | “n” as in no | nanay (mother) |
| NG | nga | “ng” as in singer | ngipin (tooth) |
| O | o | “oh” as in more | oras (time) |
| P | pa | “p” as in pen | puso (heart) |
| R | ra | tapped “r”, like Spanish pero | regalo (gift) |
| S | sa | “s” as in sun | saging (banana) |
| T | ta | “t” as in top | tubig (water) |
| U | u | “oo” as in food | ulan (rain) |
| W | wa | “w” as in water | wika (language) |
| Y | ya | “y” as in yes | yelo (ice) |
The 1973 Constitution
Now, let’s talk about the Filipino alphabet. In the 1973 Constitution, “Filipino” was named the national language, not “Pilipino.” This was reaffirmed in the 1987 Constitution, along with a proposal to enrich the national language with other Philippine languages. The people of the Philippines are also called Filipinos, but in Tagalog they say Pilipino.
Today, the official Filipino alphabet has 28 letters. To the 20 letters of the Abakada, it adds eight more: C, F, J, Ñ, Q, V, X and Z. With an F in the alphabet, “Filipino” is even more accurate than Philippino or Philipino.
Filipino Alphabet
| Letter | Name | Sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | ey | “ah” as in father | aso (dog) |
| B | bi | “b” as in boy | bahay (house) |
| C | si | “k” or “s”, depending on the word | Carlos, Cecilia |
| D | di | “d” as in dog | daan (road) |
| E | i | “eh” as in bed | eroplano (airplane) |
| F | ef | “f” as in fan (many speakers say “p”) | Filipino |
| G | dzi | hard “g” as in go | gabi (night) |
| H | eyts | “h” as in hat | hapon (afternoon) |
| I | ay | “ee” as in see | isda (fish) |
| J | dzey | “j” as in jeep | jeep, Jose |
| K | key | “k” as in kite | kain (eat) |
| L | el | “l” as in lamp | langit (sky) |
| M | em | “m” as in man | mata (eye) |
| N | en | “n” as in no | nanay (mother) |
| Ñ | enye | “ny” as in canyon | Santo Niño |
| NG | endzi | “ng” as in singer | ngipin (tooth) |
| O | o | “oh” as in more | oras (time) |
| P | pi | “p” as in pen | puso (heart) |
| Q | kyu | “k” | Quezon |
| R | ar | tapped “r”, like Spanish pero | regalo (gift) |
| S | es | “s” as in sun | saging (banana) |
| T | ti | “t” as in top | tubig (water) |
| U | yu | “oo” as in food | ulan (rain) |
| V | vi | “v” as in van (many speakers say “b”) | Vigan |
| W | dobolyu | “w” as in water | wika (language) |
| X | eks | “ks” as in box | taxi |
| Y | way | “y” as in yes | yelo (ice) |
| Z | zi | “z” as in zoo (many speakers say “s”) | zigzag |
Is It Filipino Or Philippino? What You Need To Remember
It is Filipino, with an “F.” Keep these points in mind:
- The Philippines was named after King Felipe II of Spain and was first called Las Islas Filipinas. “The Philippines” is the English version of that Spanish name.
- The country was later colonized by the Americans after the Spanish-American War, but the Spanish-influenced name of the language and the people stayed.
- Filipino is the national language of the Philippines and is based on Tagalog.
- When talking about the national language, it’s always spelled “Filipino” with an “F.”
Is Filipino The Same As Tagalog?
Not quite. Tagalog is one of the Philippine languages spoken throughout the archipelago, and it is the foundation of Filipino, while Filipino is its evolution. Filipino includes words from other Philippine languages and foreign words as well. Some might say the two are the same, but just take a look at how the alphabets differ.
Which Languages Shaped Filipino?
Filipino carries the influence of many languages:
- Malay and Indonesian: the languages of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia come from the same family. Many basic Malay words, like numbers and body parts, sound so much like Filipino that a Tagalog speaker might think they are from another Philippine language.
- Chinese: Chinese traders brought many words about food, cooking, business and even family.
- Sanskrit: Hindus and Muslims from Malaysia and Indonesia brought words with roots in India’s ancient Sanskrit language, to do with the arts and religion.
- Spanish: the Spaniards brought words related to Christianity, government and technology, and some basic native words were replaced by Spanish words over time.
From these roots and influences, you can see why Filipino, not Philippino, is used for the language and the people. And even with Spanish influences in their name, Filipinos have their own identity that they are proud of.
FAQs About Filipino Vs Philippino
Is It Filipino Or Philippino?
It is Filipino. The country was named Las Islas Filipinas after King Felipe II of Spain, and English kept the Spanish word Filipino for the people and the language, with its F.
What Is The Difference Between Filipino And Pilipino?
Pilipino is the Tagalog spelling, because the 20-letter Abakada has no F. The national language was called Pilipino in 1959, and the 1973 Constitution named it Filipino. In Tagalog, the people are still called Pilipino.
How Many Letters Are In The Filipino Alphabet?
The Filipino alphabet has 28 letters. It adds C, F, J, Ñ, Q, V, X and Z to the 20 letters of the Tagalog Abakada.
A Language Is Meant To Be Spoken! Learn Tagalog Now!
Now you know the story behind the F in Filipino, and the Tagalog language has a unique beauty that is best appreciated when spoken. With flashcards, native speaker audio and Dialog for real conversation practice, Ling makes it fun to learn a little every day, wherever you are.
Start learning Tagalog with Ling today and make a meaningful connection with Filipinos worldwide!
