22 
REPORT OF BOARD ON GEOGRAPHIC NAMES. 
form that the identity of the latter with the former might not be recog¬ 
nized, the English form should be adopted, but both forms may be 
given. 
(2) The spelling of geographic names that require transliteration 
into Roman characters should represent the principal sounds of the 
word as pronounced in the native tongue, in accordance with the 
sounds of the letters in the following system. 
An approximation only to the true sound is aimed at in this system. 
The vowels are to be pronounced as in Italian and on the Continent of 
Europe generally, and the consonants as in English: 
a has the sound of a in father. Examples: Java, Banana, Somali, Bari, 
e has the sound of e in men. Examples: Tel el Kebir, Medina, Peru, 
i has the sound of i in ravine, or the sound of ee in beet. Examples: Fiji, Hindi, 
o has the sound of o in mote. 
u has the sound of oo in boot. Examples: Umnak, Unga. 
ai has the sound of i in ice. Example: Shanghai, 
au has the sound of ow in how. Example: Hankow, 
ao is slightly different from above. Example: Nanao. 
ei has the sound of the two Italian vowels, but is frequently slurred over, when 
it is scarcely distinguishable from ey in the English they. Examples: 
Beirut, Beilul. 
c is always soft, and has nearly the sound of s; hard c is given by k. Example: 
Celebes. 
ch. is always soft, as in church. Example: Chingchin. 
f as in English; ph should not be used for this sound. Thus, not Haiphong, 
but Haifong. 
g is always hard (soft g is given by j). Example: Galapagos, 
h is always pronounced when inserted. 
j as in English; dj should never be put for this sound. Examples: Japan, 
Jinchuen. 
k as in English. It should always be used for the hard c. Thus, not Corea, 
but Korea. 
kh has the sound of the oriental gutteral. Example: Khan, 
gh. is another gutteral, as in the Turkish: Dagh, Ghazi. 
ng has two slightly different sounds, as in finger, singer, 
q should never be employed; qu is given by kw. Example: Kwangtung. 
b, d, 
1, m, 
n, p, 
r, s, 
t, v, 
as in English. 
w, x, 
and 
z 
y is always a consonant, as in yard, and should not be used for the vowel i. 
Thus, not Mikindany, but Mikindani. 
All vowels are shortened in sound by doubling the following consonant. 
Examples: Yarra, Tanna, Jidda, Bonni. 
Doubling a vowel is only necessary where there is a distinct repetition of the 
single sound. Example: Nuulua. 
Accents should not, generally, be used; but where there is a very decided 
emphatic syllable or stress which affects the sound of the word it should 
be marked by an acute accent. Examples: Tongatdbu, Galdpagos, Paldwan, 
Sardwak. 
