Latin writing system
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 | ꝡ | 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/ | /w~j/ | /ŋ/ | /ɡ/ | /kʰ/ | /ʔ/ | /h/ | /a/ | /u/ | /i/ | /o/ | /ɛ/ |
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 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) of a word to mark non-default tone on the whole word:
| Nr. | Mark | On "a" | Diacritic | Unicode | Tone name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
a | — | — | falling tone |
| 2 |  |
á | acute accent | U+0301 | rising tone |
| 3 |  |
ä | diaeresis | U+0308 | falling-glottal tone |
| 4 |  |
â | circumflex | U+0302 | rising-falling tone |
Sparse tone marking style
Before Toaq Delta, a Toaq text could have chosen not to mark the most common tone, 
. This was called sparse tone marking style.
A verb could never carry 
, so there would’ve been no confusion as long as the reader knew enough Toaq to tell particles from verbs. Therefore, this practice was acceptable in informal writing but discouraged in educational materials. This practice was made in connection with the theory that stated that was actually an inherent, or “default”, tone for verbs just as much as was for particles.
Toaq Delta removed and the notion of a neutral tone altogether; , although unmarked, is always understood as falling tone. Thus, one could say that with the introduction of the new four-tone system, sparse tone marking has become the standard, with both the phonology and the orthography backing it.
See also
- "Symbols and sounds" in the Reference grammar.
- Input methods for writing Toaq's diacritics.
- Hoelai, the major non-Latin writing system.