In contrast, most contemporary linguists consider many of these "Visayan dialects" (e.g., Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Karay-a, etc.)

to be distinct languages, and the term Visayan is usually taken to refer to what is called Cebuano in contemporary linguistic literature.

Antonio Sanchez's 1914 Diccionario español-bisaya (Spanish-Visayan Dictionary) refers to the speech of "Sámar and Leyte".

[2] Many Waray dialects feature a sound change in which Proto-Bisayan *s becomes /h/ in a small number of common grammatical morphemes.

Waray is also used in the Mass in the Roman Catholic Church and in the worship services of different Christian sects in the region.

[4] However, there is a growing population of Muslims in the region with the first mosque, Tacloban Mosque and Islamic Center, through a charity built by a Turkish Islamic religious authority in Tacloban at 2017 which teaches the scriptures and offers Friday sermons in both Waray and Cebuano in general.

These words might not be the same in spelling and in construction but they share the same meaning, making it a very diverse language.