How to Speak Ilocano

Last Updated: December 1, 2020 References

Ilocano is a native language of the Philippines, spoken primarily in northern Luzon and is an official provincial language of La Union. With 9.1 million native speakers, Ilocano is the 3rd most spoken native language in the Philippines. The easiest way to learn how to speak Ilocano is to start with the pronunciation of the alphabet so you can sound out words that you see in print. From there, you can pick up other words. You'll be having basic conversations in the language before you know it. ^{[1]
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Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Pronouncing Ilocano Words

1
Start with Ilocano vowel sounds. Ilocano has the same 5 vowels as English. These letters make the same sound all the time, regardless of where they are in a word. However, the vowels make somewhat different sounds than you might be used to. The 5 Ilocano vowels sound as follows:^{[2]
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- The letter "a" makes an "ah" sound, similar to the "a" in the English word "father."
- The letter "e" makes an "eh" sound, similar to the "e" in the English word "bed."
- The letter "i" makes an "ee" sound, similar to the "ee" in the English word "beet."
- The letter "o" makes an "au" sound, similar to the "au" in the English word "author."
- The letter "u" makes an "oo" sound, similar to the "oo" in the English word "boot."
Tip: The letters "w" and "y" are sometimes vowels, but only when combined with one of the 5 regular vowels in a diphthong.
2
Combine vowel sounds together to form diphthongs. When two vowels together in a word create a different sound than the vowels would make individually, they create a diphthong. Ilocano has 6 diphthongs:^{[3]
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- The diphthong "aw" sounds similar to the "au" sound in the English word "slaughter."
- The diphthong "ay" sounds similar to the "ay" sound in the English word "bay."
- The diphthong "ey" sounds similar to the "ei" sound in the English word "seize."
- The diphthong "iw" sounds similar to the "ieu" sound in the English pronunciation of the French word "lieu."
- The diphthong "oy" sounds similar to the "oy" sound in the English word "boy."
- The diphthong "uy" sounds similar to the "oy" sound in the English word "boy."
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3
Pronounce most consonants the same as in English. Since most consonants in Ilocano make the same sound as they would in English, you don't have to worry about practicing these letters if you speak English. However, a couple of letters that make sounds that might be unfamiliar for English speakers.^{[4]
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- The letter "ng" is considered a separate consonant in English. It sounds similar to the "ng" in the English word "sing." However, it can also appear at the beginning of a word, which can cause trouble for English speakers.
- The letter "r" is trilled, similar to the Spanish "r."
- Ilocano also has the "-" character, which represents a "glottal stop." This sound is made when you rapidly close your vocal cords with a short exhale. If you speak English, think of the sound in the middle of the phrase "uh-oh!"
- The letters "j," "g," and "r" only appear in words of Spanish origin, and are pronounced in Ilocano the same way you would pronounce them in Spanish.^{[5]
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Tip: The letters "x" and "v" only appear in proper nouns and some words of Spanish or English origin. Where they appear, they make the same sound as they would in the origin language.
4
Change the pronunciation of some consonants that are followed by an "i." When the vowel "i" follows the consonants "d," "s," or "t" and is followed by another vowel, it acts as a consonant, creating a consonant blend. The resulting blends make the following sounds:^{[6]
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- The blend "di" sounds similar to the "j" in the English word "jig."
- The blend "si" sounds similar to the "sh" in the English word "sheep."
- The blend "ti" sounds similar to the "ch" in the English word "church."
5
Listen to native speakers to determine where to place the stress. In Ilocano words, the syllable that is stressed is relatively unpredictable. The easiest way to learn how to pronounce words correctly is to pay attention to where a native speaker places the stress. However, there are a few patterns that can also help you.^{[7]
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- In most words, the primary stress falls on either the last or next-to-last syllable. If the next-to-last syllable ends with a consonant, the stress falls on the last syllable. The only exception is if the next-to-last syllable ends with "ng" and the last consonant starts with a "k," as in the word "bibingka." There, the stress falls on the next-to-last syllable.
- In Ilocano words that are derived from other languages, the stress is the same as it is in the language of origin. Most of these are Spanish-origin words, but some also come from English.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Building Your Vocabulary

1
Start with words derived from Spanish. There are many basic words in Ilocano that are derived from Spanish words. If you already speak Spanish, you already have a pretty extensive Ilocano vocabulary. Although these words are spelled differently in Ilocano than they are in Spanish, they are pronounced the same. Words imported from Spanish include:^{[8]
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- Days of the week
- Months of the year
- Units of time
- Numbers
Tip: Ilocano includes 2 systems for units of time and numbers. One is derived from the Spanish, while the other is native. Speakers of Ilocano will generally understand you if you use either system.
2
Identify parts of a house in Ilocano. Rooms and parts of a house are things you'll likely talk about often if you're having conversations in Ilocano. They're also easy to learn. Make sticky notes with the words and place them around your own house to drill yourself on what the words mean.^{[9]
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- Balay: house
- Kuwarto: room
- Salas: living room
- Panganan: dining room
- Kusina: kitchen
- Banyo: bathroom
- Bubungan: ceiling
- Diding: wall
- Ridaw: door
- Tawa: window
Tip: Once you've learned rooms and basic parts of the house, you can continue with labeling other things, such as pieces of furniture or items of clothing.
3
Learn names for members of your family. Family is important in Ilocano culture. If you start talking to native speakers, you'll likely find that they often ask you questions about your family. Some Ilocano words for members of your family are:^{[10]
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- Ading: younger sibling
- Ama: father
- Mare: mother
- Apong: grandparent
- Apong baket: grandmother
- Apong lakay: grandfather
- Baket: wife
- Lakay: husband
- Tata: uncle
- Tita: aunt
4
Pick up some words that describe weather conditions. As an island nation, weather conditions can become incredibly important in the Philippines and are often a major topic of conversation. Weather words you might want to learn include:^{[11]
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- Naulep: cloudy
- Arbis: drizzling rain
- Tudo: rain
- Angin: wind
- Bagyo: typhoon
- Gurruod: thunder
- Kimat: lightning
- Nasayaat nga tiempo: sunny/good weather
5
Practice basic question words. Question words are important if you want to start conversing in Ilocano. Knowing the basic question words will help you start a question you want to ask or know how to answer a question someone asks you. Basic question words in Ilocano include:^{[12]
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- Asino: who
- Ania: what
- Kaano: when
- Ayan: where
- Apay: why
- Kasano: how
- Manu: how much/how many

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Having a Basic Conversation

1
Use "komusta" to say hello. There isn't a specific word in Ilocano that is generally used as a greeting. Instead, people commonly use "komusta," which technically means "How are you?"^{[13]
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- If you're familiar with Spanish, note the similarity between "komusta" and "como estas."
2
Vary your greeting according to the time of day. While there's no word in Ilocano that directly translates to "hello," there are separate greetings you might use depending on the time of day when you're greeting someone. These greetings can also be used to end a conversation when you're parting ways. Time of day greetings include:^{[14]
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- Naimbag a bigat: good morning
- Naimbag a malem: good afternoon
- Naimbag a sardam: good evening
3
Say "Ti naganko ket" followed by your name to introduce yourself. If you want to keep talking to someone after you've greeted them, use "ti naganko ket" to tell them your name. You can also say your name first, followed by "ti naganko."^{[15]
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- To ask the other person their name, say "Ania ti naganmo?"
- When the other person tells you their name, you might say "naragsakak a maamammoka," which means "pleased to meet you."
4
Get help if you don't understand what the person is saying. As you continue talking to a native speaker, you might find that you don't understand what they're saying, even if you've been studying Ilocano for awhile. If you can't follow what the person is saying, you might say:^{[16]
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- Diak maawatan: I don't understand
- Ulitemman ti imbagam: Please say that again
- Ibaybayagmo man ti agsarita: Please speak more slowly
- Isuratmo man: Please write it down
5
Include polite words and phrases to show respect. Native speakers will be far more patient with you as you're learning the language if you're polite in how you speak and respond to them. Polite words and phrases to add to your conversations include:^{[17]
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- Maawan-dayawen: Excuse me
- Agpakawanak: Sorry
- Agyamanak: Thank you
- Awan mania man: You're welcome (reply to "thank you")
- Pangaasim man: Please^{[18]
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Tip: To show respect to someone older than you, refer to them as "manang" (female) or "manong" (male). These words literally refer to an older sibling or relative, but are also used similarly to "ma'am" and "sir" in English.^{[19]
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