Fi and Ep Syndrome

Do you have problems pronouncing words or letters? Me too, i have pronunciation slips at times, especially when i start speaking too fast. Like any person, it makes me conscious and embarrassed. Good thing though, i'd usually notice it at once and correct myself right there and then (and make fun of myself especially when training reps).


One of the things that is still a puzzle to me though, is that some Filipinos would mostly have an issue with the P and F sound, where one will say Fi and Ep instead of Pee and Eff. I would understand if it's the critical long e and short i sound they're having issues with, but no. It's mostly the distinct sound of P and F. 


Here are some examples of the Fi and Ep syndrome:


Fifty-five = Pifty-pive or Pipty-five or Pipty-pive (Hey dude, that one's just pifty-pive fesos)
Peter Piper = Feter Fifer (Feter Fifer fecked a feck of fickled feffer)
Pardon = Fardon (I "veg" your fardon?!)
Face = Pace (What a pace!!!)
Pizza Pie = Pizza Fie (Our boss bought pizza fie last night)
Abrupt = Abruft (Oh no she didn't say anything, it was abruft)
Cup = Cuf or Cough = Cop (Cop up, or i'll take your cuf!)
Supper = Suffer or Suffer = Supper (Let's eat suffer, or our stomachs will supper!)


When you hear someone pronounce these two letters incorrectly, don't you feel the need to correct them or at least tell them it should be pronounced the right way? Most of the time though, we don't want to sound like pricks and correct them upfront as this may be humiliating to them, and we may be branded as a "know-it-all". So let's just blog and share it so they may become aware of the sound syndrome.


We've had several laughable experiences at work where people would confidently speak in English, but fail when they yell: "We need to be fassionate (passionate) with our jobs!" (i thought she was talking about FASHION and made up the word Fashionate or fashion enthusiast) or "Oh my gosh, team! We're Tof (Top) One this month!" or "Can you hand me that fen (pen) flease (please)." 


And you hear the office erupting in laughter or sharing inside jokes and chuckles. I know, i know, we're not perfect, but see, it can really sound funny at times, especially for us who work at a call center.


My apologies, this post is not intended to make fun of people who have this pronunciation problem, rather, this is meant to help anyone who may have this difficulty.

Now to help you, please remember three things:

First, you need to be aware that this is your area for improvement.

Second, accept that this is something you need to correct, don't be too sensitive about it.

Third, start learning how to pronounce it right!

Correct pronunciation and producing the correct sound usually starts with how we open our mouths and twist and turn our tongues. Opening the jaw widely to produce the correct O sound also helps.


Now let's start with P.


When pronouncing P, you have to remember that your lips have to be closed and you force them open, as if to spit. Put your hands in front of your mouth, and you should feel a bit of a forced air outside your mouth as you pronounce P.


Now with F.


F starts with your mouth slightly open, and starting it with the hard letter "E" sound (eh). As soon as you're about to close your mouth, you either slide your lower lip a little to your upper front teeth and blow air out from inside your teeth. Or, you can put your lips apart, close your upper and lower teeth slightly together, and force air out of your front teeth as if pushing the air against your two front teeth.


Pronouncing these letters through words can be tricky.


All i can say is to remember to think that to produce the F sound, you need to blow air from the inside up your front teeth as if it should linger from your mouth, and P would be like spitting air out.


I found a YouTube video that may help you with this sound syndrome too. Click here. I hope it'll cure your problem. Just remember not to shower your audience with...you know. *wink*


Have a P'sFull day! :)