"Fhoto" signals that the photo in question is not meant to be taken seriously; it is silly, weird, or funny. By the mid-2010s, "Fhoto" was being used in titles like "" ("7 Funniest Most Deceptive Photos in the World"), reinforcing the term's association with humorous or trick images. This historic use of "Fhoto" as a marker of humorous photo content paved the way for the more specific "Fhoto-fhotomemek," where the term is applied directly to the creation and sharing of memes.
One of the most common techniques is . Words are intentionally written incorrectly for humorous or stylistic effect. For example, the English word "photo" is correctly "foto" in Indonesian, but online you'll often see it as " foto " or " photho " as a playful exaggeration. This is exactly what's happening with "Fhoto." The addition of the silent 'h' makes the word look foreign and silly, instantly setting a casual, humorous tone.
