The hearing had an uncertain start, with suspects refusing to answer questions. Breaking their silence, one demanded to speak now saying Americans might kill him during the trial.
An earlier attempt to try the five in a civilian court was halted in 2009.
Newly-introduced rules include a ban on evidence obtained under torture.
But defence lawyers still say the Guantanamo trial system lacks legitimacy because of restricted access to their clients.
The defendants are accused of planning and executing the attacks of 11 September 2001, which saw hijacked planes strike New York, Washington and Shanksville, Pennsylvania and left a total of 2,976 people dead.
They face charges including terrorism, hijacking, conspiracy, and murder.
A small number of victims' relatives are attending Saturday's hearing at the military complex.
Self-proclaimed 9/11 "mastermind" Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is being tried with four others - Waleed bin Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali and Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi.
Proceedings were delayed as one of the defendants, Waleed bin Attash, appeared in court while restrained in his chair. The restraints were later removed after defence counsel had given assurances that he would "behave".
Another defendant, Ramzi Binalshibh, knelt and prayed for several minutes.
Mohammed, wearing a white turban and a flowing beard, refused to answer the judge's questions. His lawyer said he believed Mohammed was not responding because he believes the tribunal is unfair.
The hearing was further delayed when all the defendants refused to wear the earphones that provide translation into Arabic.
It later resumed with an Arabic translator present in court - ensuring that the accused could follow proceedings.
Ramzi Binalshibh eventually attempted to address the court. When told by the judge he could speak later he replied: "Maybe you're not going to see us any more. Maybe they will kill me and say I committed suicide."
The five are expected to be asked to enter a plea for the first time. The charges can carry the death penalty.
The decision to hold a military rather than a civilian trial remains controversial and follows a lengthy legal wrangle over where the five men would face justice.
One of the defendants' lawyers, James Connell, predicted the trial would take years to complete.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who is of Pakistani origin but was born in Kuwait, was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and transferred to the Guantanamo base in Cuba in 2006.
During an earlier, controversial attempt to try him before a military tribunal in 2008, he said he intended to plead guilty and would welcome martyrdom.
In 2009 the Obama administration, which is pledged to close Guantanamo, tried to move the trial into US civilian courts, but reversed its decision in 2011 after widespread opposition.
The five were eventually charged in June 2011 with offences similar to those they were accused of by the Bush administration.
The Pentagon has previously said Khalid Sheikh Mohammed admitted he was responsible "from A to Z" for the 9/11 attacks.
US prosecutors allege that he was involved with a host of other terrorist activities.
These include the 2002 nightclub bombing in Bali, Indonesia, the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl and a failed 2001 attempt to blow up an airliner using a shoe bomb.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has alleged that he was repeatedly tortured during his detention in Cuba.
CIA documents confirm that he was subjected to simulated drowning, known as waterboarding, 183 times.
Source: BBC News
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