Hi! Welcome to a short Cebuano lesson.
Today we’ll practice syllable-by-syllable pronunciation. This is one of the easiest ways to sound clear in Cebuano.
Cebuano words have a simple structure.
Almost every syllable contains a vowel: a, e, i, o, u.
A quick trick is: look for the vowels. That’s where the syllables are.
Here are three important rules:
First, every vowel is pronounced.
Second, if two vowels are next to each other, you pronounce them separately, not blended.
Third, Cebuano is spoken very close to how it is written.
Let’s use an example you already know: “Maayong buntag” — good morning.
Now we break it down:
Ma – a – yong – bun – tag
Listen and repeat slowly:
Ma – a – yong
bun – tag
Great. Now say it again, a little smoother:
Ma – a – yong… bun – tag…
And now say it naturally:
Maayong buntag!
This method works because Cebuano is very phonetic.
If you pronounce the syllables clearly, people will usually understand you — even as a beginner.
That’s it for today. More short Cebuano lessons coming soon.
Kita ta! (See you!)
