| a | is the short sound of ā; it is pronounced midway between the a in bad and the e in bed |
| ā | is pronounced as the a in far, father |
| i | is pronounced as the i in fin, ill |
| ī | is pronounced as the i in machine, police |
| u | is pronounced as the u in put, push |
| ū | is pronounced as the u in rude, flute |
| ŭ | is a midvowel, pronounced with the tongue slightly moved from its normal position; it is intermediate between u and e, and is somewhat related to the u in hurt |
| b, d, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t | are pronounced as in English |
| g | is always hard, as the g in gold, get |
| ng | has a guttural-nasal sound like the ng in ring |
| h | has an aspirate sound and should be always pronounced like the h in hill, behind |
| j | is rarely used; when used it is pronounced like the s in adhesion, vision |
| ñ | has a distinct palato-nasal sound and is related to the Spanish ñ in señor; it is generally followed by ya |
| q | is a clicking, guttural sound related to k |
| sh | is equivalent to sh in ship |
| w | is always consonantal and sounds like the w in we, twin, water |
| y | is always consonantal and sounds like the y in you, yes, beyond |
| z | is pronounced midway between z and s |
The triphthongs herein expressed by tsha and n̄ya are used in words of Malay origin, and are represented by single characters in Malay and Magindanao.
In many cases when u precedes w and i precedes y the natives omit the u and the i, and the same word may be written either with or without the u or the i. When written they are pronounced very short; ŭ at the beginning of a word, as in ŭndu, ŭnggū, is often omitted both in pronunciation and in writing. Such words may be written ndu and nggū.
To write Magindanao words by means of Arabic characters correctly a certain knowledge of Arabic grammar and orthography is necessary. The Moros lack that knowledge and write very inaccurately and inconsistently. They neither punctuate nor use the accent sign.
In transliterating these tarsila that pronunciation which seemed consistent and characteristic of each tarsila was adopted in the transliteration of the same. The text is punctuated. The accent sign is used very frequently. It is generally omitted when the accent is upon the first syllable in words of two syllables and when it is upon the syllable containing the long vowel. Some stress should be put on the last syllable as a rule.
The Magindanao tongue is energetic and strong. Its pronunciation is generally forcible, the last syllable being spoken abruptly and with a certain amount of stress.
The word Mohammed is written with o in spite of the fact that it is pronounced with u sound in both Arabic and Magindanao.
The combinations ay, āy, aw, āw are not diphthongs, but simple syllables. The y and w in these cases and in all cases where they precede a vowel have pure and distinct consonantal sounds.
A Geographical Sketch of the Chief Moro Settlements Mentioned in the Tarsila of Mindanao
The term Mindanao[2] or Magindanao was originally given to the town now known as Cotabato and its immediate vicinity. As the power of the sultan of Magindanao extended over the adjacent territory it was next applied to the lower Rio Grande Valley and later to all the valley and the whole seacoast that was brought under the rule of the sultan. The word is derived from the root “danao,” which means inundation by a river, lake, or sea. The derivative “Mindanao” means “inundated” or “that which is inundated.” “Magindanao” means “that which has inundation.” This is the most appropriate term which could have been given to this land. For more than 10 miles from the sea the Rio Grande, aided by the rise of the tide, periodically overflows its banks and floods all the adjacent lands. In the rainy season this inundation extends farther up and includes an extensive tract of country. The word “Cotabato” is in Moro kuta watu, which means a stone fort. Batu is the equivalent of watu in Malay, Sulu, Tagalog, and Visaya. This name is very modern, for the older maps that are still in use give the name Mindanao in place of Cotabato. The little stream that rises in the sulphur springs of Cotabato and empties into the Rio Grande at its junction with the Matampay in front of the present guardhouse is still known as the Stream of Magindanao.