# Why are J words in English usually written with Dy in the Tagalog language (ex: Dyanitor instead of Janitor)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 12, 2024, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-j-words-in-english-usually-written-with-dy-in-the-tagalog-language-ex-dyanitor-instead-of-janitor/996012 "2024-01-12T18:00:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jagraze1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jagraze1/32/14870_2.png) [@Jagraze1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jagraze1)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-j-words-in-english-usually-written-with-dy-in-the-tagalog-language-ex-dyanitor-instead-of-janitor/996012/1 "2024-01-12T18:00:25Z")
From what I know, I often hear that the English “J” sound does not exist in Tagalog. However, when I see words in Tagalog, there are often sounds that use English “j” (ex: Dyanitor). Why doesn’t Tagalog use J for [dzh] instead of Dy? Wouldn’t J be a more logical choice since Tagalog has been widely influenced by English and it’s not only a simpler and faster way to write it but also looks better? I mean “Janitor” looks more pleasing than “Dyanitor” and is simpler to write. What problem would it create if J was used in Tagalog? Did it make another sound? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-j-words-in-english-usually-written-with-dy-in-the-tagalog-language-ex-dyanitor-instead-of-janitor/996012/2 "2024-01-12T18:11:22Z")
First blush is that Tagalog has a lot of borrowings of Spanish, and that “j” may be spoken for by Spanish /x/ - /h/ (e.g. _trabajador, jalapeño_). A nonce English borrowing into Tagalog spelled _janitor_ could be read as /hani:tor/ or similar. Further: Elegance and simplicity won’t really factor into the reasons “dy” is favored. If “Dy” makes sense from the standpoint of Tagalog phonotactics, that’s what will get used. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-j-words-in-english-usually-written-with-dy-in-the-tagalog-language-ex-dyanitor-instead-of-janitor/996012/3 "2024-01-12T18:18:44Z")
In English “J” is pronounced /dʒ/, where /ʒ/ is the voiced “sh” sound as in “leisure”. I don’t know much about Tagalog but I gather it does not have /ʒ/ as a separate sound, so “dy” is a reasonable approximation of how to pronounce English J if /ʒ/ is not available. And of course whether “j” or “dy” looks “more pleasing” is not objective but depends on what you are used to. I’m sure that many Tagalog speakers would tell you that “dyanitor” looks better than “janitor”. ---
**Author:** ![Jagraze1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jagraze1/32/14870_2.png) [@Jagraze1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jagraze1)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-j-words-in-english-usually-written-with-dy-in-the-tagalog-language-ex-dyanitor-instead-of-janitor/996012/4 "2024-01-12T18:25:37Z")
Are you saying, J is ambiguous in Tagalog? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-j-words-in-english-usually-written-with-dy-in-the-tagalog-language-ex-dyanitor-instead-of-janitor/996012/5 "2024-01-12T18:29:25Z")
From what I read, in the Modern Filipino and Tagalog alphabet, the letter “j” can be pronounced /h/ or /dʒ/. It appears to be used for foreign words and I would suppose their origin dictates which pronunciation it gets. > **[Tagalog Alphabet: An Easy Guide To The 28 Letters - Ling App](https://ling-app.com/fil/tagalog-alphabet/)** > > There's more to discover about the Philippines than just its outstanding scenery! Today, let us explore the Tagalog alphabet to help you recognize words ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-j-words-in-english-usually-written-with-dy-in-the-tagalog-language-ex-dyanitor-instead-of-janitor/996012/6 "2024-01-12T18:32:00Z")
> [@Jagraze1](#): > > Are you saying, J is ambiguous in Tagalog ? Yes: [**J**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J) **Tagalog name of letter:** dyey **IPA:** /dʒ/ or /h/ Written as the digraph _dy_ … when using the /dʒ/ phoneme or as _h_ when using the /h/ phoneme. The sound varies depending on the language. It is only used for words of foreign origin that have not been assimilated into Filipino or Filipino words which were written using Spanish orthography. > **[Filipino orthography | Alphabet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filipino_orthography#Alphabet)** > > The modern Filipino alphabet introduced since 1987 consists of 28 letters. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-j-words-in-english-usually-written-with-dy-in-the-tagalog-language-ex-dyanitor-instead-of-janitor/996012/7 "2024-01-12T18:43:51Z")
D’yer Mak’er ---
**Author:** ![Jagraze1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jagraze1/32/14870_2.png) [@Jagraze1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jagraze1)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-j-words-in-english-usually-written-with-dy-in-the-tagalog-language-ex-dyanitor-instead-of-janitor/996012/8 "2024-01-12T18:44:04Z")
WHat!!! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-j-words-in-english-usually-written-with-dy-in-the-tagalog-language-ex-dyanitor-instead-of-janitor/996012/9 "2024-01-12T18:51:25Z")
It is a reference to a Led Zeppelin song off _Houses of the Holy_. It is meant to be a playful phoenetic rendition of the word “Jamaica” and a reference to the joke “My wife went on vacation to the West Indies” “Jamaica?” “No, she went on her own.” ---
**Author:** ![Jagraze1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jagraze1/32/14870_2.png) [@Jagraze1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jagraze1)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-j-words-in-english-usually-written-with-dy-in-the-tagalog-language-ex-dyanitor-instead-of-janitor/996012/10 "2024-01-12T19:00:16Z")
Oh I see! ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2024, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-j-words-in-english-usually-written-with-dy-in-the-tagalog-language-ex-dyanitor-instead-of-janitor/996012/11 "2024-01-12T19:33:08Z")
Yes, thanks, I submitted too early switching among tabs checking spelling. I had to hear the joke before I understood it. For sure, the DJ said ‘dyer maker’ when I listened to the radio as a kid. The wikipedia goes into some detail beyond the summary: > The title is a play on the word “Jamaica” when spoken in an English accent. > **[D'yer Mak'er](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27yer_Mak%27er)** > > "D'yer Mak'er" (/dʒəˈmeɪkə/) is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, from their 1973 album Houses of the Holy. The title is a play on the word "Jamaica" when spoken in an English accent. > This song was meant to imitate reggae and its "dub" derivative emerging from Jamaica in the early 1970s. Its genesis is traced to Led Zeppelin's rehearsals at Stargroves in 1972, when drummer John Bonham started with a beat similar to 1950s doo-wop, and then twisted it into a slight off beat tempo, up...