Why do you think most Filipinos pronounce "F" as "P" when speaking english?

Question

This is not to criticize or whatever because I'm a Filipino, but I've heard one person of other nationality did. He said laziness might be one of the reason since it's of less effort for the mouth muscles to move doing P rather than F. Pls. give ideas Kabayans.

Update:

But isn't it that language came before the alphabet? Why do we have to base on the alphabet for this?

annely · Accepted Answer

Because "F" didn't exist in the original Tagalog "abakada" alphabet. Although "Tagalog" and "Filipino" are highly similar, they are not completely the same. The latter contains more foreign letters and loanwords, but is otherwise mutually intelligible with Tagalog.  When authorities decided to create a distinction between modern "Filipino" and the "Tagalog" language on which it is based, they added additional letters such as "c", "f", "z", etc. Only foreign loanwords use these letters, whereas pure Tagalog words use only the sounds in abakada. "Laziness" is the stupidest reason I've ever heard of.  Most Filipinos speak Tagalog/Filipino (or whatever Philippine language) as a mother tongue and have English as a second language, so it's understandable for them to carry over an accent when they speak English.

? · Answer

Because in Tagalog there's no F. We pronounce Filipino as Pilipino. And we just got used to it.

Junko · Answer

It can actually happen both ways, 

Like "Fafer" (Paper), Pilifino (Filipino), Fis (Peace)

Even with the Vs and Bs: "Vorrring"(Boring), Vich (B*tch).

moi_12 · Answer

Probably that person has a speech defect or he/she most likely grew up saying the letters incorrectly without anyone correcting him/her. By the way I am also PINOY ^_^

Why do you think most Filipinos pronounce "F" as "P" when speaking english?

4 Answers