More than 180 languages and dialects are spoken in the country, almost all of them belonging to the Borneo-Philippines group of Malayo-Polynesian language branch of the Austronesian language family.

According to the 1987 Constitution, Filipino and English are both the official languages. Many Filipinos understand, write and speak English, Filipino and their respective regional languages.

Filipino is the de facto standardized version of Tagalog and the nation's official language. English, the other official language, is widely used as a lingua franca throughout the country.

Twelve major regional languages are the auxiliary official languages of their respective regions, each with over one million speakers: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Waray-Waray, Kapampangan, Bikol, Pangasinan. Kinaray-a, Maranao, Maguindanao and Tausug.

English was imposed by Americans during the U.S. intervention and colonization of the archipelago. English is used in education, churches, religious affairs, print and broadcast media, and business, though the number of people who use it as a second language far outnumber those who speak it as a first language. Still, English is the preferred medium for textbooks and instruction for secondary and tertiary levels. Very few would prefer books in the vernacular. Movies and TV programs in English are not subtitled and are expected to be directly understood but many films and TV channels are now almost exclusively Tagalog in origin. English is the sole language of the law courts. Written and spoken competence in English among the majority of poor Filipinos has been decreasing in recent years due to the abandonment of English medium free primary education.

The Lan-nang-oe variant of Min Nan Chinese dialect is widely spoken by the country's Chinese minority.

Due to its close proximity as a neighbouring Southeast Asian nation, Indonesian (and some other Malay variants) is also spoken in the Philippines, particularly southern regions. As with Filipino, the Indonesian and Malay languages are also members of the Malayo-Polynesian language branch of the Austronesian language family and represent major languages of Southeast Asia.

Spanish in the Philippines was the original official language of the country for more than three centuries, but was used mainly by the educated illustrados (including Jose Rizal) or self taught natives and the Spanish authorities. Spanish was the language of Philippine Revolution, and the 1899 Malolos Constitution proclaimed it as the official language. Following the American occupation of the Philippines, its use declined, especially after 1940. Currently, only a few Mestizos of Spanish and Mexican descents speak it as their first language, although a few others use it together with Tagalog and English.

Both Spanish and Arabic are used as auxiliary languages in the Philippines. The use of Arabic is increasingly prevalent among Filipino Muslims and taught in madrasah (Muslim) schools.