In Tagalog, the word alphabet is translated as alpabeto.
The traditional Filipino alphabet, called Abakada, originally had only 20 letters. Today, the Modern Filipino Alphabet consists of 28 letters, which include all letters of the English alphabet plus the unique Filipino characters Ñ and Ng.
Learning the Filipino alphabet is an important first step for kids and beginners studying the language. It helps with reading, writing, pronunciation, and understanding Filipino words more clearly.
This guide includes the complete Filipino alphabet along with simple pronunciation guides and example sentences.
Filipino Alphabet (Alpabetong Filipino)
Below is the full list of letters in the Modern Filipino Alphabet with their basic pronunciation:
- A a – ah
- B b – ba
- C c – ka
- D d – da
- E e – eh
- F f – ef / ph
- G g – ga
- H h – ha
- I i – ee
- J j – dyi
- K k – ka
- L l – la
- M m – ma
- N n – na
- Ñ ñ – enye
- Ng – nga
- O o – oh
- P p – pa
- Q q – kyu / kw
- R r – ra
- S s – sa
- T t – ta
- U u – u
- V v – vi
- W w – wa
- X x – eks
- Y y – ya
- Z z – zi
These letters are used in Filipino, English, Spanish loanwords, and modern borrowed terms.
Example Sentences Using Alphabet Words
Here are simple Tagalog sentences to help learners practice:
- Ang aso ay kulay kayumanggi.
The dog is colored brown. - Ang baboy ay kumakain ng mais.
The pig is eating corn. - Ang kabayo ay nasa damuhan.
The horse is in the meadow. - Ang dahon ay kulay luntian.
A leaf is colored green. - Ang elepante ay kulay abo.
The elephant is gray. - Ang batang Filipino ay masipag.
A Filipino child is industrious. - Ang gatas ay masustansya.
Milk is nutritious. - Ang helikopter ay isang uri ng sasakyang lumilipad.
A helicopter is a kind of vehicle that can fly. - Ang itlog ay masarap.
An egg is delicious. - Ang kalabaw ay isang matatag na hayop.
A carabao is a sturdy animal.
Conclusion
Learning the Filipino alphabet is a great starting point for reading, writing, and speaking Tagalog with confidence. Practice saying each letter out loud, spell simple words, and use the example sentences to build familiarity with Filipino pronunciation.