The modern Ilokano alphabet is straightforward, especially if you're familiar with English or Spanish. It uses the Latin script and was officially expanded to 28 letters to align with the Filipino alphabet. This makes it easier to incorporate words from other languages.

Most of these letters sound just like they do in English, but there are a few key differences, particularly with the vowels and a couple of unique characters.

Ilokano has five basic vowel sounds. Unlike in English, these sounds are “pure,” meaning they don't glide into another sound. Think of them as short and crisp.

In many Ilokano words, the sounds for 'e' and 'i' are often interchangeable, as are the sounds for 'o' and 'u'. You might see the same word spelled with either vowel depending on the writer or region. For example, the word for "man" can be written as lalaki or lalake.

Most consonants are pronounced as you would expect. However, let's focus on what makes Ilokano distinct.

Another important sound is the digraph NG. This is treated as a single letter in the alphabet and has a distinct sound, like the 'ng' in "singer." It's never pronounced as separate 'n' and 'g' sounds.

Perhaps the most important sound is one that isn't always written: the glottal stop. This is the sound you make in the middle of the English expression "uh-oh." It's a quick pause made by closing your throat.

Since the glottal stop can change a word's meaning, it's sometimes marked in writing. You might see a hyphen or an apostrophe used. In more formal texts, a grave accent (̀) is placed over the vowel at the end of a word to indicate a final glottal stop.

Stress is also important. While not always marked, an acute accent (́ ) can show which syllable to emphasize. Changing the stress can change the meaning entirely.

Now that you know the basic sounds, try them out.

Ready to check your understanding?

Mastering these sounds is the first step to speaking Ilokano clearly and confidently.