How does it handle Taglish when English words take Tagalog affixes?

This is a core capability. When a speaker says 'nag-meeting kami kahapon' or 'i-submit mo na 'yung report,' the AI transcribes the hybrid word forms naturally. It recognizes Tagalog affixes (nag-, pina-, ina-, i-, -in, -an) attached to English roots and outputs them with standard Filipino hyphenation conventions.

How does it handle glottal stop and stress ambiguity?

Tagalog has a phonemic glottal stop and contrastive stress, but standard spelling marks neither. Words like bata/batà (child/robe) and baga/bagà (ember/lung) are written identically. The AI uses sentence context and surrounding words to determine which meaning is intended, selecting the correct word even though the spelling system is ambiguous.

Does it understand verb focus affixes correctly?

Yes. Tagalog's focus system marks the semantic role of the topic through verb affixes: -um-/mag- (actor focus), -in (object focus), -an (locative focus), i- (instrumental/benefactive focus). The AI correctly identifies which affix form was used — the difference between bumili and binili changes who bought and what was bought — and transcribes the form actually spoken.

What's the difference between Filipino and Tagalog for transcription?

Filipino is the national language of the Philippines, standardized from Tagalog with additional vocabulary from other Philippine languages, English, and Spanish. In practice, spoken Filipino and Tagalog are mutually intelligible and grammatically nearly identical. The AI handles both interchangeably — the transcription output is the same whether you call it Tagalog or Filipino.

Can it handle other Philippine languages like Cebuano or Ilocano?

This tool is optimized for Tagalog/Filipino and Taglish. Other major Philippine languages like Cebuano (Bisaya), Ilocano, Hiligaynon, and Waray may produce results with reduced accuracy, as the verb morphology and vocabulary differ significantly from Tagalog despite some shared Austronesian roots.

Transcribe Tagalog and Filipino audio to text

Upload Tagalog or Filipino audio and get a transcript that handles what makes this language uniquely complex: Taglish code-switching where English words take Tagalog affixes (nag-meeting, pina-discuss), the verb focus system that changes who did what, and the glottal stops that standard spelling leaves unmarked.

Drop your file here or click to browse

.mp3, .wav, .m4a, .aac, .ogg, .flac, .mp4, .mov, .avi, .mkv, .webm·up to 500MB

Tagalog transcription that understands Filipino speech as it actually happens

Tagalog has a verb focus system where affixes on the verb mark whether the actor, object, location, or instrument is the topic of the sentence — bumili (actor bought) vs binili (object was bought) vs binilhan (location was bought at) are all forms of the same root. In practice, Filipino speakers switch between Tagalog and English constantly, and not just at sentence boundaries — they attach Tagalog affixes to English words (nag-meeting, pina-discuss, ina-update). Vocova's AI handles this morphological hybridization naturally, along with the unmarked glottal stops and stress patterns that create ambiguity in Filipino speech.

How it works

Upload Tagalog or Filipino audio

Drag and drop or select a file containing Tagalog or Filipino speech. Works with everything from ABS-CBN broadcasts to vlog recordings to BPO call recordings.

MP3, WAV, M4A, MP4, MOV, MKV, and all other formats
Files up to 500MB supported
No format conversion needed

AI processes focus system, affixes, and code-switching

The engine recognizes Tagalog verb morphology, preserves Taglish code-switching patterns including affixed English words, and handles the natural speech rhythm of Filipino speakers.

Taglish code-switching with morphological hybrids (nag-meeting, i-submit)
Verb focus affixes parsed correctly (bumili vs binili vs binilhan)
Filipino speech patterns and informal registers recognized
Speaker diarization for multi-person recordings

Export your transcript

Review the Tagalog transcript, edit inline if needed, and export in your preferred format.

Export as TXT, SRT, VTT, DOCX, or PDF
Timestamps on every segment
Edit directly in the browser before exporting

Features

Taglish code-switching with morphological hybridization

Filipino Taglish isn't just alternating between two languages — speakers attach Tagalog affixes to English roots: nag-meeting (had a meeting), pina-discuss (had something discussed), i-submit (to submit something), ina-update (being updated). The AI recognizes these hybrid constructions and transcribes them as Filipino speakers would naturally write them, including the characteristic hyphenation patterns.

Verb focus system understood

Tagalog's focus system is one of the most distinctive features of any major language. The affixes on a verb signal what role the topic plays: bumili ang bata ng isda (the child bought fish — actor focus) vs binili ng bata ang isda (the fish was bought by the child — object focus). The AI correctly captures which focus form was used, preserving meaning that would be lost if affixes were garbled.

Glottal stop and stress ambiguity handled

Tagalog has a phonemic glottal stop that standard spelling doesn't mark: bata (child) vs batà (robe), baga (ember) vs bagà (lung). Stress position also distinguishes words but is unmarked in normal writing. The AI uses sentence context to select the correct word when pronunciation is ambiguous in the audio.

Natural Filipino speech rhythm captured

Filipino speakers have characteristic intonation patterns, sentence-level rhythm, and discourse markers (di ba, 'no, kasi, eh) that differ from how Tagalog appears in textbooks. The AI captures natural spoken Filipino rather than producing overly formal literary Tagalog.

Why choose Vocova

Transcribe Filipino media and entertainment

Convert Filipino TV shows, vlogs, podcasts, and news broadcasts into text that captures the Taglish code-switching audiences expect. The transcript reads like how Filipinos actually communicate, not sanitized formal Tagalog.

Serve the overseas Filipino community

Transcribe Filipino content for OFW communities worldwide. Get written records of family calls, community events, and Filipino media that preserve the natural Taglish speech patterns that connect diaspora communities to home.

Create Filipino subtitles and captions

Export as SRT or VTT for YouTube videos, social media content, and streaming platforms. The subtitles include Taglish code-switching and informal speech patterns that Filipino audiences recognize as authentic.

Document BPO and business communications

Transcribe Filipino-language meetings, training sessions, and quality assurance recordings. The AI handles the workplace Taglish that dominates Philippine business communication where English terminology meets Tagalog discourse structure.

Who can benefit

Filipino content creators and vloggers

Generate subtitles and written content from Taglish videos and podcasts. The transcripts reflect how you actually speak — code-switching and all — rather than forcing everything into formal Tagalog.

Overseas Filipino communities

Transcribe family recordings, community content, and Filipino media for documentation, accessibility, and language connection across generations in the diaspora.

BPO and call center companies

Transcribe Filipino-language customer interactions, training sessions, and QA recordings for compliance review. The AI handles the Taglish that dominates Philippine call center communication.

Researchers in Philippine linguistics and culture

Get transcripts that preserve verb focus morphology, Taglish hybridization patterns, and discourse markers for linguistic analysis, sociolinguistic research, and cultural documentation.