School Bukel II

People in Manila have a notion that they are the center of correct accent and right pronunciation.

But the longer I stay in the capital city of the Philippines, the more it revealed to me that Metro Manila is too a cradle of funny and erroneous pronunciations.

If you’ve been born in Manila or Luzon, this is for you. If you’re a promdi (from the province), this is a guide for you not to mimic the tagalogs’ pronunciation blunders.

English word Tagalog pronunciation (Incorrect) Correct pronunciation (click the speaker icon)
Battle Bat-tell http://www.answers.com/battle
Boxing* Boksing http://www.answers.com/boxing
Boyfriend Boypren http://www.answers.com/boyfriend
Concert Koonsert http://www.answers.com/concert
Eagle Egel http://www.answers.com/eagle
Fifty Peptee http://www.answers.com/fifty
Five Pive http://www.answers.com/five
Girlfriend Gerlpren http://www.answers.com/girlfriend
Google Gogell http://www.answers.com/google
Office Opis http://www.answers.com/office
School Is-kool http://www.answers.com/school
Seconds Sekoons http://www.answers.com/seconds
Single Sing-gell http://www.answers.com/single
Stupid Is-toopid http://www.answers.com/stupid
Taft Tap http://www.answers.com/taft
Triangle Trayang-gell http://www.answers.com/triangle
Uncle Ang-kell http://www.answers.com/uncle

*Because of the popularity of the sport, this error has spread throughout the country.

I therefore conclude that the tagalogs/Luzonians have been fed with erroneous english pronunciations all along.

Related topic: School Bukel

15 comments

  1. I guess there is a problem with Filipinos both Tagalog and Visayan when it comes to the discrimination of the pronunciations and accents of the English language. Each claims to be correct but from an English-speaking person’s perspective is completely wrong.

    Let’s just say that English is not our primary language hence we have no right to declare ourselves as an authority of the language. The same can be said with Indians, French, Italian, Latinos, Dutch etc. Those who can discriminate however are the ones who use the language naturally, Brits, Australians, Americans, Canadians whichever nation that declares their official and primary language to be English.

    Therefore, as Filipinos, it is pointless to debate whose accent is correct and incorrect.. it’s all wrong. Solution: speak without an accent whatsoever. Pronounce words based on the dictionary. Or, of course if you can, mimic.

  2. I’m not sure, but it seems to me that your perception of a Luzonian=Tagalog? it’s like saying that all Mindanaonas are Muslims when there is a huge Christians over there are non-Muslim tribes. Not all people in Luzon speak like that. I met tagalogs who are of middle class who pronounce those words properly. I think it’s between being educated and not educated.

  3. BTW, I am not Tagalog nor do I have Tagalog blood. I have a friend who is from Batangas and she has a good English diction(pronunciation). Not the trying hard type but natural.

  4. @Kris
    It’s a generalization, i mean mostly do that mispronunciations i wrote above. Becuase we bisayans are often subjected to racist remarks not only by those in Manila but also those in the nearby provinces.

    My post is a sort of an “eye opener.”

  5. I partly agree with you above SOME Manilenos(just like other people) having air but then I don’t think it’s a Tagalog/Luzonian thing. I would not even say it’s a Manileno thing. I think it’s a media ting that had SADLY permeated to the minds of many non-Visayans. Even SOME Manilenos laugh at the Batangueno accent when in fact, the Batangueno-tagalog is ‘purer’. Now the whole of the Philippines thinks that the Batangueno Tagalog is funny. XP. It’s not only the Bisayans who are subject to discrimination. Other Filipinos as well. I do not have something against Bisyanas in general but the guy who wanted Marky C. out of SS because he was na igorot(half, to be exact) was from Cebu. Foregeting the fact tat Marky’s dad is a Bisaya from Mindanao. Marky speaks the language, it’s just that he’s more acculturated to the highland culture.

  6. The first time i personally heard the Batangueno accent inside the restaurant last year, i smiled, because it was like hey i only hear hear this on tv or radio, now i am hearing it right next to me.

    Admittedly, when i was a teenager i used to mock Batangueno accent, thanks to our Filipino TV or movies.

  7. I bet you will agree with me if I suggest that rather than countering discrimination with another discrimination or mockery, we should reform our entertainment media and to a certain extent news media, the nasty tabloids especially. I really think discrimination started there and permeated through the mind of many Filipinos. Media miseducation. =(

    If you come up here to the north. People here speak tagalog which is peppered with ngay. Alam mo ngay yung kwan I’m not sure how you’ll take it but my classmate from Batangas seem to have acquired it! Haha =)

    Just trying to take things lightly.

  8. This article was one of the earlier ones, it is more filled with discrimination against discrimination. But on my later articles it is more geared towards in the middle, no taking sides. Or at least trying not to take sides. I’m still learning :).

  9. You know that the British, Singaporeans, Malaysians, South Asians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, Burmese and the rest of the members of the Commonwealth also pronounce those words differently. Are they also wrong in their pronunciation just because they don’t talk like the people from the Midwest, USA?

  10. 99.9 percent of people from Manila and Luzon whom I’ve met speak scandalous English pronunciation. I was shocked when they pronounced Google as Gogel (literal). What a shame!

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