Toaq is most commonly written using a modified Latin writing system, with diacritics on the vowels to mark tone.
Alphabet
The alphabet, in native order, is:
| m | b | p | f | n | d | t | z | c | s | r | l | nh | j | ch | sh | q | g | k | ' | h | a | u | ı | o | e | y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| /m/ | /b/ | /pʰ/ | /f/ | /n/ | /d/ | /tʰ/ | /d͡z/ | /t͡sʰ/ | /s/ | /ɾ/ | /l/ | /ɲ/ | /d͡ʑ/ | /t͡ɕʰ/ | /ɕ/ | /ŋ/ | /g/ | /kʰ/ | /ʔ/ | /h/ | /a/ | /u/ | /i/ | /o/ | /ɛ/ | /ə/ |
In semi-native order, the consonants are ordered in the Latin/Unicode way (b, c, ch, d…) while the vowels are still at the end, in a, u, ı, o, e, y order.
In non-native or Latin order, the whole alphabet is ordered like the Latin alphabet: a, b, c, ch, d…
The vowel ı is written without its dot, to avoid confusion with the tone diacritics listed below.
Diacritics
The following diacritics are placed on the first vowel (a, u, ı, o, e, y) of a word to mark non-neutral tone on the whole word:
| Nr. | Mark | On "a" | Diacritic | Unicode | Tone name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  |
á | acute accent | U+0301 | rising tone |
| 3 |  |
ä | diaeresis | U+0308 | rising-creaky tone |
| 4 |  |
ả | hook above | U+0309 | falling tone |
| 5 |  |
â | circumflex accent | U+0302 | rising-falling tone |
| 6 |  |
à | grave accent | U+0300 | mid-falling tone |
| 7 |  |
ã | tilde | U+0303 | falling creaky tone |
Sparse tone marking style
A Toaq text may choose not to mark the most common tone, . This is called sparse tone marking style.
A verb can never carry the neutral tone, so there is no confusion, as long as the reader knows enough Toaq to tell particles from verbs. Therefore, this practice is acceptable in informal writing but is discouraged in educational materials.
See also
- "Symbols and sounds" in the Reference grammar.
- Input methods for writing Toaq's diacritics.
- Hoelai, the major non-Latin writing system.