The Finnish alphabet is similar to Filipino alphabet in terms of sounds except for the additional vowels Ä,Ö & Y which are not found in the Filipino alhapabet. Some points to remember when learning Finnish as a Filipino. Perhaps the hardest part is to pronounce the Y as explained below.
- Ä and Ö are distinct letters, not variants of A and O. They have unique sounds.
- Å is rarely used in Finnish words. It appears mainly in Swedish names and loanwords, as Finland is bilingual (Finnish and Swedish).
- Some letters (e.g., B, C, F, Q, W, X, Z) are uncommon in native Finnish words. They are mostly used in loanwords or foreign names.
- Pronunciation is phonetic, meaning each letter corresponds closely to a specific sound.
- In Tagalog language, we say the Y as Ya/Ai sound. In Finnish language, we say it as EUH.
For example:
Kylla ( Yes) – keuhlla in Finnish
Kylla ( Yes) – Kyalla / Kailla in Tagalog
The Finnish language has eight vowels, which are divided into two groups: front vowels, back vowels, and neutral vowels. These classifications are important because Finnish has vowel harmony, meaning words generally only contain front or back vowels (with neutral vowels allowed in either group).
Finnish Vowels:
-
Front vowels: Ä, Ö, Y
- Examples:
- Äiti (mother)
- Öljy (oil)
- Ystävä (friend)
- Examples:
-
Back vowels: A, O, U
- Examples:
- Auto (car)
- Omena (apple)
- Uusi (new)
- Examples:
-
Neutral vowels: E, I
- Examples:
- Elämä (life)
- Ilo (joy)
- Examples:
Vowel Harmony Rules:
- A word can only contain either front vowels (ä, ö, y) or back vowels (a, o, u), but e and i are neutral and can mix with both.
Example:- Front vowel word: Kylä (village)
- Back vowel word: Talo (house)
- Neutral vowels in mixed word: Henkilö (person)
Like the Filipino alphabet, the words are spoken as they are written. For example:
Tuli
Tulee
Miksi
Puhelin
Tietokone