English for Filipino Speakers | San Diego Voice and Accent

I'm Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, a licensed speech-language pathologist, and this free guide covers five common American English pronunciation challenges for native Filipino and Tagalog speakers: the TH consonants, the F and V consonants, the EE and IH vowels (and OO and UH), the schwa and unstressed syllables, and the dark L, with a free video lesson for each. Prefer one-on-one help? See my private accent reduction training.

Are you a native Filipino or Tagalog speaker who:

says the TH sounds in words like think and this as a T or D, so thank sounds like tank?
says F like P and V like B, so fan sounds like pan and very sounds like berry?
says sit and seat, or pull and pool, with the same vowel?
says unstressed syllables with a full vowel instead of the schwa?
finds the dark L in words like feel, milk, and ball difficult?

American English Pronunciation for Filipino Speakers: Top 5 Pronunciation Challenges

If you are a native speaker of Filipino or Tagalog and you struggle with American English pronunciation, then this resource is for you. Here you’ll learn five common pronunciation challenges that native speakers of Filipino and Tagalog may face when speaking English, and you’ll learn how to improve your pronunciation of American English.

Read about the five pronunciation areas below, and then watch the free English pronunciation video lessons to learn how to pronounce each sound. Don’t forget to click here to download your free Guidebook to the Sounds of American English, too!

Filipino Challenge #1: The TH /θ, ð/ Consonants

A common challenge for native Filipino and Tagalog speakers is saying the TH sounds in words like think /θ/ and this /ð/ as a T /t/ or a D /d/, so thank sounds like tank. Because tank and thank are both real words in English, your listener may hear a different word than the one you meant. I want you to be able to hear and feel the difference, and the lessons below show you how.

How to Pronounce the TH /θ, ð/ Consonants in English

The difference between TH /θ/ and TH /ð/ is vocal cord vibration: /θ/ is voiceless (no vocal cord vibration) and /ð/ is voiced (the vocal cords vibrate). For both sounds, the tip of the tongue is placed lightly against or between the teeth, and the air keeps flowing; the tongue does not stop the air the way it does for T and D. Watch the videos below to learn how to pronounce the TH consonants. You can also read about their pronunciation by clicking here: How to Pronounce the TH Sound; How to Pronounce the TH /θ, ð/ Consonants; The Top 5 Problematic Sounds in American English: The TH Sound.

Filipino Challenge #2: The F /f/ and V /v/ Consonants

Another common challenge is saying F /f/ and V /v/ like P /p/ and B /b/, so fan sounds like pan and very sounds like berry. For F and V, the upper teeth touch the lower lip; for P and B, both lips close. Because many of these pairs are real words in English, your listener may hear a different word than the one you intended.

How to Pronounce the F /f/ and V /v/ Consonants

Watch the videos below to learn how to pronounce F and V, and how they differ from P and B. You can also read about their pronunciation by clicking here: How to Pronounce the F /f/ and V /v/ Consonants; How to Pronounce the P /p/ and B /b/ Consonants.

Filipino Challenge #3: The EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels (and OO /u/ and UH /ʊ/)

Many native Filipino and Tagalog speakers use the same vowel for EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/, so seat and sit sound alike, and the same vowel for OO /u/ and UH /ʊ/, so pool and pull sound alike. Both words in each pair are real words in English, so this substitution can change the meaning of your message.

How to Pronounce the EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ Vowels in English

To pronounce the IH /ɪ/ vowel, relax your face and tongue and say the vowel for a shorter duration than EE /i/. Watch the videos below to learn how to pronounce the EE /i/ and IH /ɪ/ vowels, and the OO /u/ and UH /ʊ/ vowels. You can also read more by clicking here: How to Pronounce the EE /i/ Vowel; How to Pronounce the IH /ɪ/ Vowel; The Top 5 Problematic Sounds in American English: The “eee” and “ih” vowels; How to Pronounce the OO /u/ Vowel; How to Pronounce the UH /ʊ/ Vowel.

Filipino Challenge #4: The Schwa and Unstressed Syllables

In American English, unstressed syllables are shorter and weaker, and the vowel in them is often reduced to the schwa UH /ə/, like the first and last vowels in about and Canada. A common challenge is saying those unstressed vowels as full vowels, which makes every syllable sound equally strong. I teach the schwa so that the rhythm of your words sounds natural to an American listener.

How to Pronounce the Schwa and Unstressed Syllables

Watch the videos below to learn how the schwa and unstressed syllables work in American English. You can also read about them by clicking here: How to Pronounce the Schwa UH /ə/ Vowel; Unstressed Syllables and Word Reductions in American English; Syllables and Stress of American English; The Three Types of Syllable Stress.

Filipino Challenge #5: The Dark L /ɫ/

At the end of a word or syllable, like in ball, feel, and milk, American English uses a “dark” L /ɫ/, where the back of the tongue pulls back and the tip of the tongue may not touch the roof of the mouth at all. The dark L is a common challenge for native Filipino and Tagalog speakers. The lessons below show how the dark L differs from the light L.

How to Pronounce the Dark L in English

Watch the videos below to learn the difference between the light L and the dark L. You can also read about it by clicking here: How to Pronounce the L Sound: Light L vs. Dark L; Your #1 Go-To Guide to the Dark L; Advanced English Pronunciation Practice: The Dark L; How the Dark L Influences Vowels.

Common questions from Filipino and Tagalog speakers

What are common American English pronunciation challenges for Filipino and Tagalog speakers?

Five common challenges are the TH consonants, the F and V consonants, the EE and IH vowels (and OO and UH), the schwa and unstressed syllables, and the dark L. Each one has a free video lesson on this page.

Why does thank sound like tank?

Many native Filipino and Tagalog speakers say the TH /θ/ in thank as a T /t/, so thank sounds like tank. For TH, the tip of the tongue touches the teeth and the air keeps flowing; for T, the tongue stops the air.

Is there a free way to start?

Yes. Every challenge on this page comes with a free video lesson. English Pro Lite is my free online American accent course, with 45 lessons and 2.5 hours of video on the vowels, consonants, syllable stress, rhythm, reductions, and linking you need to speak clearly. Start English Pro Lite free →