Learn Pitman English Shorthand (free Pdf File) 552331

PITMAN ENGLISH SHORTHAND Strokes with attachments Wel, Hwel and Hway are the only instances of a hook adding a sound BEFORE that of the main stroke, all other hooks add a sound after. It helps to think of the strokes below that have such permanent "attachments" as complete strokes in their own right, otherwise confusion may result when learning the R, L, F/V and N hooks. The reason they have attachments is that, as the system developed in its early days, more strokes were required than were available from the straight lines at various angles and segments of a circle. Therefore various unused combinations were made use of, e.g. Ray was given initial hooks to make Way and Yay, which were originally shown by the small semi-circle and the downstrokes that we now use for Rer and Ler; the combination S-CHR, not occurring in English, was used instead for downward Hay, the H sound originally being represented by only the aspirate dot and the upstroke that is now used for Yay. Stroke

Name Direction Angle from Notes Vertical

Sound also represented by

Pee

Down

45°

Emp-Emb thickening of Em

Bee

Down

45°

Emp-Emb thickening of Em

Tee

Down

0°

Halving; doubling for "-ture"

Dee

Down

0°

Halving

Chay Down

30°

Jay

Down

30°

Kay

Horizontal 0

Part of the con/com dot Large initial hook for Kway

Gay

Horizontal 0 Large initial hook for Gway

Hay

Down

30°

Down version for better s and can be reduced to a downward tick before some strokes

Aspirate dot

Hay

Up

60°

Upward Hay is most frequently Aspirate dot used

Way

Up

60°

The Way vowel sign, Sway circle Large initial hook for Hway

Yay

Up

60°

Sometimes U diphthong within a word Hay, Way, Whay, Yay:

Use 30% angle if a full downstroke follows, in order to keep the base of the 2nd stroke level with it Ell

Up

45°

Sometimes down for better ings. Sometimes choice is made for vowel indication.

Small initial hook

Initial hook

on upward Ell makes Wel

Large initial hook on upward Ell makes Hwel

Downward Ell thicken for Ler

Downward Ell halve and thicken for Ld Ar

Down

45°

Vowel before it; exceptions Final part of doubling apply to obtain better ings.

Thicken for Rer

Halve and thicken for Rd Ray

Up

60°

No vowel before it; exceptions Initial hook apply to obtain better ings.

Use 30% angle if a full downstroke follows, in order to keep the base of the 2nd stroke level with it Ef

Down

45°

Final hook

Vee

Down

45°

Final hook

Ith

Down

0°

Thee Down

0°

Doubling for "-ther"

Ess

Down

0°

Circle S, SES and Sway

Zee

Down

0°

Circle S, SES

Ish

Down

45°

Sometimes upwards for better Part of the Shun hook ings.

Sher is always downwards Shel is always upwards Zhee Down

Em

45°

Always down – no thick stroke Part of the Shun hook ever goes up. This is the sound in "measure"

Horizontal 90° Thicken for Imp or Imb

Halve and thicken for Md En

Horizontal 90°

Final hook. Initial hook for "instr" Halve and thicken for Nd

Ing

Horizontal 90°

This is a single sound. Derivative words may retain separate En and Gay, where the resemblance to "ing" is coincidental.

The "ing" dot and the "ings" dash

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QUICK REFERENCE TABLE Name & Place

Examples

Additional vowel

SHORT VOWEL

Mnemonic

Vowel plus one = diphone

1

THAT bat

sahib

2

PEN bet

3

IS bit

1

NOT tock

2

MUCH tuck

3

GOOD took

LONG VOWEL

1

PA pa

baa-ing

2

MAY pay payer

3

WE

pea previous

1

ALL saw

sawing

2

GO so

sower

3

TOO sue

DIPHTHONG

bluer Diphthong plus one = triphone

1

I by

buyer

1

ENJOY boy

loyal

3

LOUD out

power

3

MUSIC few

fewer

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SHORT AND LONG VOWELS Short vowels = light dot or dash Mnemonic: THAT PEN IS NOT MUCH GOOD Long vowels = heavy dot or dash Mnemonic: PA MAY WE ALL GO TOO The mnemonics contain short forms so those particular outlines cannot be used to illustrate all the vowels, but the simplicity of the sentences has served generations of shorthanders very well over the years and they are worth preserving as our "shorthand heritage". The dashes are written at 90° to straight strokes, therefore they change their angle as the stroke changes its angle. The dash is generally written from the stroke outwards and about a quarter of the length of a normal stroke; a dash should not be written straight up or straight backwards, in order to maintain smooth writing and avoiding catching the nib against the paper. Against horizontal strokes the dash is always written downwards. For curved strokes, the angle of 90° changes along the length of the stroke. The angle of a dash vowel is therefore not meaningful when used in an outline, but is only meaningful when used alone as a short form – See Short Forms List 4 page Short forms from vowel marks:

toe gnaw know noose maw mow moon bought Some dash vowels end up being written with an upward slant and this is the only time that any thick mark is written upwards, as in the outline "bought" above. The angle of the dash may be adjusted slightly in places where there is limited room between strokes:

droll dhurrie roach Heavy dots and dashes must be written with one stroke of the pen, not moved around on to thicken them up. Students of phonetics will notice that in Queen's English "pay" "sew" and similar words are not simple vowels but diphthongs, despite all the shorthand books describing them otherwise. They and the diphthongs below are, however, single phonemes (meaningful units of sound) in English, and generally found within one syllable, which is why they are perceived as one sound. I suspect that such words are pronounced with simple vowels in English accents other than the present Queen's English standard. This is borne out by a teachers' textbook that I have which advises south of England teachers to place extra emphasis on the "pure long vowel" of "lake", which to southern English ears does sound more like an accent from further north of the country. Top of page

DIPHTHONGS (pronounced dif-thong **note** ) Two vowels sounded in quick succession, glided together and producing one syllable. Mnemonic: I ENJOY LOUD MUSIC

   

There are 4 diphthong signs - two first place, two third place. There are no second place diphthong signs. No heavy versions. The first three never change angle, the last may be rotated when ed.

First place

pie tie china lie rye my nice

fine vie thigh sigh shy sky wise high I/eye ed at the beginning of some downstrokes and in phrases:

ice eyes idea item Ivan ire, I have, I think, I say, I shall For convenience, ed finally to stroke En (despite being a first place vowel) when no other stroke or ending follows:

night nigh deny downright fortnight finite Anno Domini but nights denies Contracted to a tick on upward Ell:

isle/aisle island islander Eileen/Aileen (but Aileen if so pronounced) As short form for "I", contracted in phrases where convenient:

I believe, I propose, I regret, I can, I am, I will have First place The top half of the sign is written horizontally:

poise toy joy coy coil moist noise foible voice hoist

ed only to upward Ell. The angle is adjusted slightly but this does not clash with the third place vowel "owl" because of the outline's position. Not ed to other strokes because not convenient and could be confused with "of the":

oil oiled oil-field oil-tanker oil-well Third place

out ouch joust cow mouth noun found shout loud how (short form) ed initially to upward Ell, despite being a third place vowel, for convenience:

owl owlet owlish owl-like ed as short form in phrases:

how many, how long ed finally where convenient:

bow prow pout brow browed dhow/Dow doubt vow thou sow Howe Contracted after stroke N, when nothing else follows in the outline:

now Lucknow but nous Third place

puma tune tuna tube cube suitable fume music Hume you (short form) (the surname "Hume" is sometimes pronounced "home") ed finally where convenient, when nothing else follows in the outline. Rotated when ed finally to horizontal strokes or upward ell. Do not rotate when free-standing, because this clashes with the W series of signs:

few pew cue/queue/Kew due/dew mew new continue pursue value

As short form, ed where convenient:

thank you, if you will, for you are, you should, can you, may you Top of page

DIPHONES A simple vowel followed immediately by another separately sounded vowel, thus forming 2 syllables.

   

Written in the correct place of the first vowel of the pair Angle never changes Never ed No heavy versions

Arrowhead, at 45° angle pointing south west, is used for a dot vowel plus any other:

sayer layer weighing previous reit create neon tiara Maria Arrowhead, at 45° angle pointing north east, is used for a dash vowel plus any other:

sower snowy stoic poem gooey bluey jawing gnawing rawish

Diphones are often encountered as extensions to an original simple vowel, and so the vowels are perceived as two separate phonemes (meaningful units of sound):

pay payer mow mowing mower high higher but hire

Also used for these types of endings, although the vowels are barely sounded separately:

righteous question suggestion combustion pinion onion bunion but Bunyan

trachea* tracheae* Separate dots are used for the plural to distinguish the outlines - the extra dot cannot be mistaken for Dot Hay, because Dot Hay is never used finally. *pronounced track-ee-uh and track-ee-ee

Diphones are not used for: (a) short forms that have stroke Ing added, because short forms are not vocalised, and the Ing needs only its own dot:

be being go going do doing

(b) when adding "dot ing" because the dot represents the whole "ing" extension:

paying toying trying but tryingly Top of page

TRIPHONES Three vowels sounded in succession, normally a diphthong plus one other, producing two syllables. Shown by extending the diphthong sign with a tick.

 Written in the correct position of the first vowel of the pair  Only ed finally  No heavy versions

diary dial briar trier diameter flyer denying ionise

loyal royal joyous soya boyish moiety annoyance sequoia

power tower flower/flour towel vowel

viewer duet continuous puerile steward skua skewer but secure Some triphones consist of a simple vowel followed by a diphthong: write the diphthong next to the vowel (note the light dot is used):

radii genii denarii nuclei As with "tracheae" above, the dot cannot be mistaken for Dot Hay, because Dot Hay is never used finally Top of page

VOWEL PLACEMENT 1. A vowel sign is placed to the side of the stroke, at the beginning, middle or end. The vowels are therefore described as first, second and third place vowels.

 All the strokes of the outline or phrase must be completed before any uned vowel is written.

 The beginning of a stroke is counted from where the pen starts writing



it. With strokes that can be written in either direction, the vowel placement will vary, and care should be taken when the stroke stands alone, both in writing and in transcription. Vowel before: place to left of up or downstrokes, upper side of horizontal strokes

 Vowel after: place to right of up or downstrokes, lower side of horizontal strokes

ape pay, Abe bay, aid day, age jay, ache Kay

aim may, inn no, ingle swinger

if fee, Eve vie, either thought, thin

us so, owes zoo, ash show

ale low, air row, awake way, ayah yes, ahem high 2. Place outside of circle S, Sway, Stee and Ster loop:

bees beast swan star stock stopper poster blister 3. SES circle is deemed to include the vowel in "pen"; if it is a different vowel, write it inside the circle:

success masses bases (plural of base), basis, bases (pronounced baseez, plural of basis) emphasise emphasis exercise Dash vowel inside the circle – Books vary in showing at what angle it is written:

census Colossus exhaust 4. Shun hook – vocalise the stroke just as you would if the shun hook were not there, with the following exceptions: (a) Third place dots written inside the shun hook:

fashion fission vision revision mission permission lesion In most cases the dot inside the hook is the vowel immediately before the Shun, but sometimes it is the vowel before that:

remission television compare initiation (b) Third place dashes, diphones and diphthongs are written outside the shun hook when the hook is final (because they need more room) and inside when the hook is medial (to avoid the sign being read as belonging to the next stroke).

fusion solution ammunition revolution revolutionary education educational

radiation mediation pronunciation renunciation deviation deviationist The vowel between the Sh and N of the "shun" is not vocalised at all, and the fact of the vowel being written inside or outside the hook is coincidental to getting the dot or dash or other sign against its own stroke, i.e. it is not part of the "shun" syllable. Circle S + Small shun hook – the hook is deemed to include the vowel in "much" and requires no vocalisation itself. The vowel that comes between circle S and the small shun hook:

   

Dash vowel: never occurs First place dot: never occurs Second place dot: omit Third place dot: write outside the hook (underlined below)

possession position precision decision condensation physician incision sensation musician recession recision In these examples underlined above, the vowel sign is actually being written against the little hook and not against the stroke, i.e. it is sounded after the S and before hook, and not sounded before the stroke. A third place vowel before the stroke should be placed a little way inwards from the hook. The following illustrates two vowels on the hook side of stroke:

apposition opposition imposition 5. Ell is normally an upstroke, therefore:

ell ill ale eel isle oil owl* Eli Leah *In "owl" the third place vowel is ed to the beginning of the stroke for convenience, the only word that does this.

When Ell is written downwards, the vowels follow suit:

like alike 6. Ish is normally a downstroke, therefore:

ash shy shah shot show shut she shoe/shoo shoot/chute sheet shout When Ish is written upwards the vowels follow suit:

shaggy shagreen/chagrin, shack shackle, sham shammer 7. After a halved stroke, the vowel should be written against the second stroke, as it is sounded after the T or D:

cottage pottage bandage octopus potato written 8. All dots and dashes should be just far enough away to be distinguishable as separate marks, so that they do not interfere with the recognition of the strokes themselves. Only these instances have a dash vowel ed:

awl also; the short form "all" may also be ed as in: almost already Top of page

INTERVENING VOWELS Intervening means "coming between" (A) coming between two strokes 1st and 2nd place vowels: place against the preceding stroke:

pod paid bat boat dock duck tag take jag jug

mock make notch nape shadow shed lock lake

rag rug wad wed yak yoke hack hake hang hung 3rd place vowel: place before the following stroke. This is because a third place vowel written after the first stroke could end up in an angle between strokes and therefore be ambiguous – you would not know whether it was a third place vowel after the first stroke, or a first place vowel against the next stroke:

peel pull big beet book tick took

deep jig cheap fig food video meal nil

pip peep bib beep cook gig

If the two strokes are separated by a circle S or S-plus-hook, then the vowel must remain with the first stroke, it cannot "jump" over the S, because it is sounded before. The presence of the S or S-plus-hook enables the vowel to be written in its correct third place with less ambiguity:

Dick disk, leap lisp, creep crisp, ping pinning A compound word is one that is made up of two other words. In the outline for a compound word, the vowel often remains where it would be if the words were written separately, thus aiding legibility:

headache book-end steam-engine Compound words are treated as one outline as regards to position (unlike phrases where the first word is written in position and the others tag along). Therefore the first up or down stroke might reside in the second of the two words, such as "steam-engine" above. The above does not apply to derivative words, where there is one word and one affix; these have the vowels placed normally according to the basic rules:

unable inorganic inactive fewness steamer (B) coming between an initial hook and the stroke (e.g. PR and PL) See also Theory 7 Hooks R L/Vocalisation and Theory 15 R Forms page/R Hook For Brevity for more examples.

Although the R and L hooks are primarily used to represent the two consonants together, sometimes the hooked form is used even though a vowel is present, in order to avoid an awkward outline or obtain a better outline for very common words. Most of such intervening vowels are only lightly or indistinctly sounded. If the vowel is "-er" as in "permit" it is not shown. It is however taken to be a second place light dot vowel (and is in fact shown as such in other outlines that are not using a hook) and so the outline takes second position, where this is the first vowel.

permit perfect persist term germ therm Other vowels between the stroke and hook are indicated as follows: A dot vowel is written as a dised circle, in its correct place, after the stroke unless that place is occupied by another vowel or there is no room to write the vowel.

challenge sharp carbon philosophy varnish flashily atmosphere Note: Very many "car+consonant" words use the R hook A dash vowel is written across the beginning of the stroke, through the centre or through the end; it is not written across the end because that would look like the "ings" suffix. Where a second place dash vowel is written through the stroke, the following vowel has to be written against the next stroke, as in "courage" and "occurrence" below:

tolerable correspondence church George shovelful fulfil courage occurrence A diphone or diphthong may also be written through, or at the end of, a hooked stroke:

healthier junior direct (2 pronunciations)

temperature mixture capture captures capturing The above use of R or L hook plus intervening vowel is not generally used for words of one syllable:

pale pair tall tore jeer mare Some short words use the intervening vowel to gain a brief outline, where clashes are unlikely:

nurse dark gnarl barm course Turk NOTE: The prefixes "self-" and "self-con-" also use a circle (in this case representing the S sound), and the outline is always in second position to match the vowel in "self".

 "Self-" circle is written before the stroke in second position. It might therefore look identical to a 2nd position intervening vowel, but the rules state that the short E vowel between stroke and hook is not shown (whether accented or not), although all other vowels may be shown. Therefore no clash occurs.



self-defence self-employed, Jersey shelf (2nd position vowel not written) "Self-con-" circle is written against the top end of the stroke, replacing the "con-" dot, so this cannot be mistaken for an intervening vowel, which is always against the side of a stroke.

self-confidence self-control "self-" and "self-con-" must always be written, unlike the vowels which are only written when needed (see Theory 18 Prefixes page). POSITION WRITING Position writing is a great strength of the system, enabling vowels to be indicated without any extra writing. Position writing combined with the various choices of abbreviating methods combine to make it clear which word is signified, without guesswork, when the vowels are eventually omitted. Unlike omitting vowels, position writing is not optional and you should practise inserting vowels until you know their placement perfectly, for two reasons: you need to know what and where they go in order to write the outline in the correct position, and when you do need to insert them, you have to do it very rapidly.

The first up or downstroke of the outline is placed in one of three positions in relation to the ruled line of the page, to match the place of the first vowel sound of the outline: First position: ABOVE the line

PA

ALL

THAT

NOT

Second position: ON the line

MAY

GO

PEN

MUCH

Third position: THROUGH the line

WE

TOO

IS

GOOD

I ENJOY

LOUD MUSIC

Note: the vowel in the prefix dot "con-" is ignored when deciding on the first vowel sound of the outline. As there is such a large number of con- & comwords, a means of vowel indication through position writing has to be maintained. Words beginning with the dised circle for "self-" or "selfcon-" are always written in second position, to accord with the vowel in the word "self". As the second and subsequent up or downstrokes in the outline simply follow on from the first one, their position with regard to the ruled line carries no meaning. An outline that is written as part of a phrase may end up out of position and may need a vowel inserted to keep it readable. If the first up or downstroke is a doubled one, then the first half of it is placed in position:

father curvature alter latter letter litter "Father" should be started at high up as possible, and the end of the stroke will probably run through the ruled line, unless your shorthand writing is very small. With "latter" the end of the stroke may invade the ruled line above, but this is acceptable. You should not reduce the full double length in

order to squeeze it within the ruled lines. You need the full length for clarity, so aim for longer rather than shorter. Inserting the vowel helps when there is only one stroke – the vowels are placed further apart on doubled strokes. Only a full up or downstroke can be written through the line, so if the first up or downstroke is halved, or there are only horizontal strokes in the outline, third position is also ON the line, sharing it with second position. Although horizontal strokes and halved up or downstrokes have no third position, vowels still have a third place against the stroke. For halved strokes, the three places are closer to each other along the shorter length:

fat fate fit

pit bed jade Mick moon noon cook Note: Vowels have a PLACE against a stroke Outlines have a POSITION in relation to the ruled line Top of page

OMISSION OF VOWEL SIGNS Inserting vowel signs in an outline is called vocalising. Although the beginner will write fully vocalised outlines, this is a temporary state of affairs while the vowels are being learned. At some point your textbook will encourage you to omit writing all the but the most necessary vowels. This does seem a great hurdle to the learner but once this step is taken, any perceived difficulties soon melt away. After a very short while this will become second nature, and you will recognise instantly when a vowel needs to be inserted. Omitting vowels is the very first step in writing at speed, which is why it is introduced at an early stage. This transition resembles writing separate letters of the alphabet and then going on to "ed-up" writing – you write lightly, flowingly and speedily, rather than slow drawing and pressing into

the paper. This is the point in your learning when you realise that shorthand can be written fast, and eagerness takes over from frustration. There are two reasons why omission of vowels is not a problem:

 The varied ways in which the presence of a vowel can be indicated



without extra writing i.e. position writing, choice of alternative strokes and the use of full strokes versus hooks, circles, semicircles, loops and halving. The shorthand you read is generally what you have written yourself, therefore you are seeing it for the second time. Reading matter provided by others tends to have more vowels inserted.

 The type of material you write will generally be repetitive and as you become more familiar with the subject matter, writing and reading back becomes much quicker.

It is advisable to vocalise the following:

 Single stroke words, as there is no other stroke to reduce the possibilities.

 Diphthongs ed to a stroke should not be omitted, they should    

remain with the outline and be considered part of it. Unusual words and names of people and places, at least on their first occurrence in the dictation, as context does not give you help with those. Words in phrases that end up out of position may need the help of a vowel. One or both of pairs of Distinguishing Outlines. If you know you have written an outline badly or wrongly, you may only have time to insert a vowel or two, rather than rewrite the outline.

 Some scientific words are distinguished only by a change of vowel, as well as some non-English plurals:

sulphate sulphite antennae formulae larvae amoebae STROKE

This is a single straight or curved line that represents a consonant sound. All the horizontal and downstrokes are paired, thick and thin, to match the related sounds of voiced and unvoiced. No thick stroke is ever written upwards, Thick and thin refers to the width of the line and not the lightness or darkness of the colour, although the thick lines may end up being darker in colour because it takes pressure to form them. The outlines here were written with blue ink in a shorthand pen with flexible nib, and therefore the thick strokes appear darker because of the pooling of the ink. Pencil outlines may also show variation between grey and black. Black ink should produce much less variation in shade. Some older books refer to shading which should not be taken literally but is a description of the overall appearance of the marks. No basic stroke represents more than one sound. A stroke can have other consonants added to it by various means e.g. halving, doubling, thickening or addition of hooks or loops. A vertical dash vowel, e.g. against a horizontal stroke, should always be written downwards, whether it is above or beneath the stroke. The only time the pen writes upwards is while completing a circle or hook. Some dash vowels may sometimes have an upward slant when written to curves. Excess pressure with a sharp or unbending nib/fragile pencil tip/low grade paper at those points could be detrimental. There is no stroke or sign that is written straight upwards in its basic form; however, the halved Ess is written upwards in certain situations (being a halved stroke and therefore similar to writing half of a Circle Ses, part of which would necessarily have to be written upwards):

educationist expressionist impressionist OUTLINE This is the shorthand form for a word, before the unattached vowel signs are added. Write the strokes one after the other, ing them end to end, without stopping at the angles, lifting the pen or going back to thicken or

correct any part. All the strokes must be completed before inserting any further dots, dashes, vowel signs or intersections. Each stroke must be written in its correct direction. A few strokes have alternative directions in which they may be written, in certain circumstances. An outline may consist of: (a) One or more strokes forming a continuous ink line, including any attached vowels, hooks, circles and, optionally, unattached non-vowel marks:

fee form few manner stationery completed scrapings (b) Two parts written close together, used where certain s are awkward, impossible or illegible – the outline is called "dised":

attitude hesitatingly friendly Dising is also used for some abbreviating devices:

principality acceptability archaeological magnificent accommodate recognise hesitatingly friendly – see Theory 19 Suffixes principality acceptability archaeological – See Theory 20 Suffixes magnificent accommodate recognise - See Theory 18 Prefixes

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PROXIMITY Two outlines may be written close together, called proximity, as an abbreviating device to indicate the "con" syllable at the beginning of the second word, to replace the "con" dot (see Theory 18 Prefixes/Con page). Advanced writers often find other uses for proximity in their phrases, enabling them to leave out obvious words:

I am confident, in control Packing your shorthand outlines tightly together along the line is not a good idea, as proximity is meaningful in certain circumstances. The only time to do that is when you are running out of paper in an emergency or writing that time-honoured secret shorthand postcard that the postman cannot read! INTERSECTIONS A stroke may be written through an outline, as an abbreviating device for common words. There is a wide choice here, and every shorthand writer is free to create their own intersections to reflect their own needs:

political party, service department, application form, at the beginning Top of page

STROKE COMBINATIONS

In any combination of strokes, it should be clear which strokes are involved and where each one starts and stops. Alternative methods are used in the following combinations: (a) Three similar straight strokes in succession – break up the outline, use the hyphen sign if it helps:

pop-up cake-cutter Where a halved or doubled straight stroke would not make an angle with other strokes in the outline:

popped Babette judged cooked dotted

fact factor liked bonnet A succession of all up- or downstrokes: 3 is maximum, 4 should be avoided to prevent the outline invading the line below or above, causing delays and interference.

door doorstep rarer tiptop* sheepfold* *Dictionary gives 4 downstrokes for tiptop and sheepfold, which goes against most textbook advice and lets the outlines invade two lines below. One might get away with 4 downstrokes if it started above the line, but these start already through the line. I would suggest breaking the words up – this gives the advantage that you can place both parts in position to indicate the vowel. This is also relevant for many words where it is not settled in usage whether it is one word, hyphenated or two words. You should write a reliable and convenient outline, and make a separate decision on how it should be transcribed. Top of page

ADDING VOWELS Adding vowel signs to an outline is called vocalising. An outline without its vowels is not considered incomplete. Dictionaries always show all the vowels. Dot "con-", dot "-ing" and dash "-ings" are considered part of the outline, in the same way as ed diphthongs, and, unlike the unattached vowel signs, they should never be left out, except when using proximity for "con-". Adding or omitting unattached vowels is a choice that is left to the writer. You should always include those vowels that you think will help you read the shorthand. If you always write in all the vowels, your speed will be severely hampered, and you should endeavour to omit all but the essential ones. When dictation slows right down or there is a breathing space, it is tempting to go back and put in all the vowels. It is up to you how much to vocalise, and whether the extra time taken is working for or against you. If you think you might have to read back, having extra vowels in will reduce the stress. Putting them in at every opportunity is not a helpful habit if you wish to attain good shorthand speed – the two are incompatible. However, it is a good exercise to undertake periodically, so that you revise and consolidate your knowledge of them. Position writing is dependent on knowing your vowels thoroughly and you should not leave them out because you do not know what they are or where they go. Vowels are advised for:

 Short outlines, such as a single stroke, because there will be many words that one stroke could represent.

 Unusual, non-English or technical words. Some scientific words are

  

differentiated only by the vowel e.g. nitrite nitrate. You should make lists of such vocabularies in your line of work and decide where you need to consistently insert the vowels. Single outlines that have little or no context, such as headings or lists. Proper names i.e. people, places. Context does not help with proper names. Such outlines should also be as full as possible and not make use of short forms. Clashing or very similar pairs (see Distinguishing Outlines page). If the outlines are the same, you can generally omit the vowel in the common one and always put the vowel in the less common one, thus reducing your overall writing. Compile your own lists as you come across them, and let none escape, considering the damage or embarrassment they are capable of.

 When you have written an incorrect, doubtful or bad outline. In the heat of rapid dictation, you may have to create an outline in an instant. You know it is not the dictionary outline, but you must write something. The vowels will help you read it back, but the offending outline should be looked up and drilled to prevent a recurrence – keep a notebook so that you can practise them. Top of page

PHRASING Outlines for words may be ed in succession, as convenient, in order to increase speed. Each pen lift approximates to writing a stroke, so avoiding a pen lift by phrasing saves time. Phrasing is generally for sets of words that are frequently found together, or is used to mirror the way words are naturally grouped in normal speech:

Dear-Sirs Thank-you for-your-letter that-we-have-(re)ceived yest(erday)ev(en)ing yours-si(n)cerely Tick "the" is always ed and therefore it always makes a mini-phrase. Phrasing is an extremely useful tool, with endless possibilities for time saving and many of its own abbreviation methods.

The ink line forming the phrase was called a "phraseogram" in the early days of shorthand, out of a desire to give every new concept its own terminology, allowing the systems to be described and taught with exactitude. It is normal nowadays to just use the word "outline" to cover any shorthand ink line, and "phrase" covers either the outline or the set of words being represented by it. RULES OF THE SYSTEM There are three overriding rules governing how an outline's form is chosen. I am referring to the choices made throughout the history of Pitman's Shorthand by its creator and by subsequent publishers (Pitman Publishing/Longman). Facility = easy to write at all speeds, with no awkward pen movements Legibility = can be read back reliably and correctly; this includes ensuring outlines do not clash Lineality = keeping to the horizontal line of the notepad and not invading the line above or below The basic rules are simple, but variations and exceptions arise because not all combinations of strokes produce good outlines. They are also necessary to insure the system against the inevitable distortion of handwritten outlines versus the drawn perfection on the textbook pages. The system is geared to having the best possible outlines for high-speed writing and reliability. Producing the minimum number of rules or the slimmest possible textbook is not a priority in New Era. The basic outline-choice scenario:

 the consonant outlines end to end, in the same order as the    

sounds occur in the word. Incorporate any abbreviating devices available and suitable. Insert the vowel signs. If the resultant outline violates "facility, legibility, lineality" then decide on a better outline. Some outlines depart from the normal rules because of the extreme convenience and brevity gained.

The rules are really just a way of describing how the outline choices were made, thus helping the student understand what is going on. Understanding requires intelligence but no great effort and is infinitely better than memorising, which is inefficient, painful and discouraging. As long as the

initial understanding is followed by lots of writing practice, memorising is totally unnecessary and redundant. Seeing a page thick with rules can be very daunting, but if you learn the example outlines thoroughly, they themselves will speak volumes to you and in far less time and space than the lengthy chapter they were presented in. They enable you to spot a bad combination simply by instant mental comparison with known good outlines. Every shorthand writer does this when correcting a dubious outline that has been dashed off. If you have an understanding of why the choices of outline were originally made, you will be better informed to make your own choices when you need to decide on the outline for a new word without recourse to a dictionary – either it is not in there, or you do not have access to the book. Until the publishers see fit to reprint Pitman's Shorthand dictionaries and bring them up to date, being able to do this is becoming ever more important for shorthand writers. You do not need to know all the niceties of the theory when first learning, but the more you know, the better you will be able to write new words, either ones not in the dictionary or when no dictionary is available. To aspiring high-speeders they are a never-ending toolbox for further creative abbreviation. Some textbooks advise knowing all the rules and applying them perfectly in order to write good and fast shorthand, but I disagree strongly with this. When writing shorthand, your outlines will of course embody the rules, but you will never be thinking of the rules – either the outline jumps to mind or it doesn't, and you must move on in the next fraction of a second. If you need to make up an outline during dictation, you will still not be thinking of the rules, you will be basing your new outline on one you already know. Shorthand outlines are visual and further learning and consolidation should concentrate on that, writing and seeing them constantly on the page and associating the spoken sound with them. Perusing the rules is for when you are sitting in your armchair at home, correcting faulty outlines by consulting the shorthand dictionary or textbook, and wondering why the outline looks like it does. For the learner, the outlines are the food, your understanding of the rules are the knife, fork and spoon that shape the meal and help it go down. When you are out and ing what you have assimilated, the cutlery stays at home! QUICK REFERENCE TABLES Name Sound

Initially

Medially

Finally

Circle Initially=S S Elsewhere=S or Z

soap

posing

pose

Z initially uses stroke zeal Use Ess if no other stroke session Circle S-S, S-Z, Z-Z Ses

-

poses persist Circle Sw Sway

-

-

sweep

Use Way if no other stroke, or medially or sway finally

persuading

Kingsway

Stee St Loop stop

Use Tee if no other stroke stay Please note this outline has been corrected to show

testing

post

circle anticlockwise 23.7.14

Ster Ster Loop

masterpiece

Never initially, use other strokes

poster

sterling starry

Ses and Sway are mutually exclusive as regards position on the stroke, therefore they will never clash with each other. Name R hook

L hook

N hook

F/V hook

spray supper

supple splay

pens moons

paves pufs

suffer summer

civil

Circle S

Circle Ses

-

-

dances Circle Sway

-

-

-

sweeper Stee Loop

stopper

-

danced

Ster Loop

-

-

Dunster

See Theory Vowels page for vowel placement against strokes that have these circles and loops.

 Only Circle Ses can be vocalised, the others cannot. Other than Circle        

Ses, it is the stroke that is vocalised. There are no thick versions of circle or loops. They must be written in the correct circular motion i.e. anti-clockwise (left motion) or clockwise (right motion), according to the rules below. They are read first and last in the outline, or that section of the outline, with the stroke and its various vowels, hooks, halving, etc coming in the middle. If the word starts or ends with a vowel, strokes must be used instead. May be added to short forms and contractions. May form part of phrases. Ensure to close the circle or loop so that it does not look like a hook. Ensure to take the circles right round so they do not look like loops. When used medially, circles will not always be exactly circular, they will take on distortions, see adjustment and chisel below as examples of this. When this occurs, do not mistake them for loops – medial loops are always followed by a sharp change of direction, see masterpiece in table above, something circles never do.

Top of page

CIRCLE S A vowel may come between the Circle S and the stroke (e.g. sap, ), or the two may be run together (e.g. spa, apse). The outline gives no indication of this, unless vocalised. In this respect the Circle S differs from the R and L hooks which generally represent a compound consonant e.g. PL and PR. Circle S is written:

 Anticlockwise to straight strokes  Inside curves  Outside an angle Anti-clockwise to straight strokes:

sap spa apse sub bus abs sit stay eats teas

sad ads days such choose sage juice

sack sky axe case sag guess eggs hose (=upward Hay) ways yes Between two similar straight strokes, still anti-clockwise, the same as you would write it if the first stroke was the only one:

decide disdain tacit testy precept exact cask bespoke Busby Inside curves:

safe face sphere save voice Seth thaws seethe this

size cease sash shows sign snow nice inns

same maze aims smile simile songs sir ears

er ive possess basin bosom design flotsam

cousin chasm chosen adjacent adjustment reason resume Between two curves that have the same motion, follow that motion:

evasive fasten lissom listen unsafe muscle nicely noiseless If the curves have opposite motions, the circle generally goes clockwise, often (but not always) resulting in the circle being outside the angle:

mason massive season unsolved arising

facile but facility, vacillate but vacillated, insulate but insulated What you should NOT do with Circle S is make a sudden change of direction; this somewhat awkward ing is used very sparingly, being reserved for indicating:

 An R Hook on a following straight stroke, where the hook cannot be shown in any other way; however, after P and B the R hook is omitted for convenience (if it were shown, it would look too much like a Stee loop):

describe discretion disagree discourage

R omitted in: prescribe subscribe

 Stroke Hay medially, in order to differentiate between Hay and Circle S:

anyhow, any such, upheld er-by

Between M-N and N-M, in derivative words, the circle should remain with its original curve:

miss missing, seemly unseemly, mince mincemeat

some noisome (=annoy+some), noise noise-maker Outside an angle:

age beseech basic task dosage tassel chisel respond Top of page

With hooks Where the circle and hook would individually be written on the same side of the stroke, when you wish to show both, the circle must be written INSIDE the hook. Theoretically, circle is extra small and the hook remains its normal size; in practice the hook generally needs to be ever so slightly larger to avoid ink blobbing, and the circle can be flattened into a tiny loop (it is not a Stee loop which are never used inside hooks). Do not let your small hooks grow in size and get confused with the larger hooks (Shun, and L Hook on curves).

L Hook: supple splay settle saddle satchel sickle safflower soufflé civil

R & N Hooks to curves: suffer sever summer mains signer nines fines vines

F/V Hook: puff puffs cuff cuffs tough toughs

Kway (Gway): square squash squeal squeeze consequence (Gway could take Circle S but no examples found)

Way: use Circle S with Way for those words when Circle Sway is not possible:

way sway persuade but swerve swayed Wel: does not take Circle S, instead discard the hook and use Sway Circle on stroke Ell:

well swell Whay Whel Yay: do not take an initial Circle S Where there is a vowel between a final F/V and S, this is generally a plural of an outline that is already written with full strokes:

cave caves, cavy cavies, buff buffs, bevy bevies

tiff tiffs, toffee toffees, Dave Dave's, Davey Davey's A medial Circle S does not indicate a hook purely by its direction, because the direction of the circle is used only for convenience. In many cases a medial hook can be shown as well, with the circle following the motion of the hook:

bicycle express listener display miscreant unschooled inscrutable Small Shun Hook: Circle S, and Circle S following N hook, can both be followed by the small shun hook

composition compensation decision condensation transition Top of page

With R Hook and N Hook to straight strokes: On a straight stroke, the R or N Hook is closed up to make a circle. Both are thus indicated, because that is not the usual side/direction for an initial or final circle:

R: spay spray, sub sobriety, stay stray, sky screw

N: pays pains, toes tones, choose chance, Joe's John's

N: guess gains, rays rains, ways wanes, yes yens Medial circles Between two straight strokes the hook should be shown, the circle following the direction of the hook. Medial circles use the direction that is most convenient, so the direction cannot be reversed to indicate any hooks, unlike at the beginning and ends of strokes (apart from the necessity to choose the direction for legibility, it would also not be clear whether the plain circle, if so used, meant an N Hook on the first stroke, or an R Hook on the second stroke):

prosper destroy district excursion corkscrew If there is a vowel after the N sound, use stroke En so that it can be vocalised. The presence of the stroke N lets you know there is a vowel, so vocalisation is normally unnecessary:

bones bonus, tens tennis, chines Chinese, mines minus The combination S-CH-R is not found standing alone in any English word, therefore this outline is used for the stroke downward Hay. Should such a combination appear in a new word or name, it would be have to be written with stroke Ar after the S-CH, or stroke Ess plus Cher if the word began with a vowel. However, this sequence of sounds can be written in the middle of a

word, providing the S is shown inside the hook, thus avoiding clashing with the downward Hay:

beseech beseecher Abraham Circle S can be added to final Stee and Ster loops and Circle SES:

posts posters exercises Top of page

Read first and last In case of difficulty, mentally remove the circle and then read the outline correctly, before mentally adding the S back in:

pray spray, upper supper, play splay, apple supply, pint pints, dove doves, roof roofs

fund funds, amount amounts, nine nines, inner sooner, ever sever Dot "con-" dot "-ing" and dash "-ings" are read first and last, if present:

strict constrict, strain constrain, some consume, dance dancing, rinsing rinsings

Top of page

When not to use Use the stroke Ess or Zee when: (a) there is an initial vowel before the S, or a final vowel after it. The stroke can then be vocalised, although its presence lets you know there is a vowel involved:

sack ask, mess messy, seed acid, sense essence

boss bossy, noise noisy, haze hazy, slate isolate

(b) the S is the only consonant sound in the word (because you need somewhere to put the vowel); retain the stroke in derivatives:

ice sigh sighing sighs/size, sea sea-level but sleeve, sea-kale but sickle (c) the vowel between the S sound and the stroke is a triphone, and in other places to distinguish from plurals:

signs science, virtues virtuous, heirs heiress, Jews Jewess, dangers dangerous Top of page

S versus Z sound Initially, the sound is S; medially and finally the sound can be S or Z:

seep piece/peas same mace/maze Final NS and NZ sound after a curve are differentiated by using:

 Hook N for NZ – generally a plural, but not always  Stroke En for NS – generally a word that can be used as a verb, and therefore needs to have easy derivatives

NZ: fen fens

NZ: vine vines

NS: fence – fences fenced fencing fencer

NS: evince – evinces evinced evincing evincible

NZ: mean means

NS: mince – minces minced mincing mincer

NZ: nine nines announcer

NZ: line lines

NS: announce – announces announced announcing

NS: lance - lances lanced lancing lancer lancet

Note: lens lenses As lens is singular, despite its Z sound, stroke N and Circle Ses have to be used for the plural, and there is no such word as "lences" for the plural to clash with. More examples of NS verses NZ:

thins thence, shines conscience, salines silence

Pauline's opulence, vines Venice, Essenes essence Those with a linguistic interest may notice that words like mince/mints are pronounced identically, but perceived differently. "Mints" is halved to indicate the T, as the T sound is part of the original word; the T sound in "mince" is the first part of the S sound (if you removed it the word would sound like "minz"):

mint mints mince, fent fents fence, silent silents silence

comment comments commence, dent dents dense

assistant assistants assistance, chant chants chance This is a timely reminder that (a) shorthand dictation must be undertaken intelligently, and the meaning followed while writing, and (b) Pitman's Shorthand is not designed to be entirely phonetic, it only needs to indicate which word was spoken. Top of page

Why Circle S and Ses include the Z sound The S sound can change into the Z sound in plurals and genitives, but when it does, it is not changing the word into a different word. The circle is used to represent both in order to preserve the general shape of the outline and to allow its consistent use for plurals and genitives: house (noun) = "hous" houses (plural) = "houziz" house (verb), hows (plural noun) = "houz" house's (genitive) = "housiz" Consistent and easy outlines are achieved, but at the expense of some words such as mace/maze peace/peas where the S and Z sounds signify different words. The longhand has solved the problem, in only using the letter Z and sometimes letter C, to show othe difference. The shorthand has partly solved this problem in a similar manner, with the aim of writing words briefly and reliably, rather than strictly phonetically. Shorthand does not always preserve the basic outline when forming derivatives, but as plurals and genitives cover so many words, the advantages of allowing Circles S to do duty for both S and Z sounds outweigh the disadvantages.

Suggestion for advanced writers: if you have constant trouble in your line of work with certain pairs of outlines, you can choose to use stroke Zee finally for Z-words (as long as you are aware this it is not an official outline) but you may wish to indicate that there is no following vowel, by using a short vertical line parallel to the stroke, or some other mark of your choosing. Such idiosyncracies should be strictly limited by necessity, and given very careful consideration before adoption. As always, keep a note of your departure from the normal rules. You cannot adopt any such method if you wish to teach shorthand! An initial Z sound has to use the stroke, even though no vowel comes before it:

zeal zebra zenith zero zest zinc zip zone zoologist Top of page

CIRCLE SES This is a large circle, used in middle or at the end of an outline, placed in the same way as Circle S, to represent:

S-S: basis necessary necessity insist thesis

S-Z: bases paces busses faces voices losses masses taxes fixes

Z-S: possessive exhaust exist resist

Z-Z: opposes dazes fuses cruises muses mazes noses raises/razes Top of page

When not to use S-S sound at the beginning: Circle Ses is never used at the beginning of an outline, as that place is taken by Circle Sway. Two initial S sounds should be shown with the full stroke Ess followed by Circle S. This makes an easier outline and logical derivatives, as the formation of an angle is avoided, its place being taken by the circle.

sauce sauces, cease ceases ceasing, sighs/size sizes sizing sizeable, scissors secede Do not follow longhand: Do not be misled by words like those below, which do not contain the sounds of s-vowel-s, they merely appear at first glance to do so in longhand; they are in fact Circle S followed by Shun Hook:

decision possession accession incision cessation secession Differentiation: Where the SeS or SeZ (with short E) is part of the basic word (e.g. not a plural or a verb S-ending) or if a diphthong or diphone is involved, Circle S plus stroke Ess is generally preferred; this is because there

is such a large number of this type of word that a regular means of differentiation is needed between them and plurals of shorter words. The derivatives will generally keep the stroke Ess, but Circle Ses is sometimes used where it is more convenient e.g. to avoid an awkward ing or to shorten the outline. This is an example of speed/ease of writing being more important that having "tidy" rules:

poses poses but possess possesses possessed possessing possessive possessor

axe axes but access accesses accessed accessing, excess excessive

boss bosses/boss's but abscess abscesses, obsess obsesses obsessive

raise raises, recess recesses recessed recession recessive

gas gases but gaseous (this word is sometimes pronounced "gayshus") Exceptions have been made for the following very common words for the sake of convenience. The outlines are distinctive with Circle Ses, and therefore they do not need to use the stroke S:

exercise exercising, success successful, emphasise emphasised

Note: sixes and sexes might need vocalising; exorcise is distinguished by the use of stroke Zee Top of page

Basic words with vowel other than short E can use the Circle Ses:

crisis analysis hypothesis Words like those above form their plural by a change of vowel. It would be good practice to omit the singular vowel, and always insert the plural one:

crises hypotheses Some of these types of words have identical plurals and verb endings in longhand, although pronounced differently, so vocalising the Circle Ses may be helpful:

Noun: diagnosis diagnoses Verb: diagnose diagnoses

Noun: analysis analyses Verb: analyse analyses If the accent falls in different places, you can indicate this by adding a small cross next to the vowel. This method is useful for many pairs of words where the nouns and verbs have different syllables accented. As the words are generally spelled identically, this merely aids comprehension of the text as you read your shorthand back, especially important if reading back in situ, with all eyes on you. My personal suggestion is to replace the vowel – the position of the cross lets you know what the vowel might be, and other vowels should not be necessary. You should ensure that the cross does not look like a diphthong or diphone:

Plural noun analyses Verb analyses Top of page

With hooks Circle Ses can be combined with N hook to straight strokes, in the same way as Circle S:

bounces dances expenses experiences It cannot be combined with F/V hooks, or any hooks on curved strokes. When written medially it is impractical for it to be followed by a hooked stroke. Vowels

See Theory Vowels page for how to vocalise Circle Ses. In brief, the short vowel sound as in "pen" is not indicated in Circle Ses, as it is the most common, but any other vowel between the S-S may be written inside the circle. Adding a third S Circle S can be added onto the big Circle Ses by continuing the motion, writing the small circle on the other side of the stroke:

emphasises successes exercises censuses Top of page

Other uses The large circle can represent two circles:

 In a few compound words it can represent two S's that belong to separate parts of the compound, even though only one S is sounded, to make the outline more readable (this has nothing to with the "ses" in the longhand):



 

house-surgeon house-sparrow flaxseed In a few words with diss- and miss- to provide distinction or improve readability – see Theory 18 Prefixes/Dis and Mis Circle S followed by the stroke Hay circle, see Theory 12 Hay/Large medial circle page.

Top of page

CIRCLE SWAY This is a large circle, used at the beginning of an outline, placed and read in the same way as Circle S, to represent the sound of SW.

 Never used medially or finally.  No vowel comes before the "SW-" and not vowel comes between the S 

and the W. Never vocalised, as there is no vowel to show. The vowel that follows it is placed against the stroke.

 The name "Sway" is for convenience – any vowel may come after it.

sweep swab sweat swayed/suede Swedish switch swag

swivel swath swathe Swiss Swaziland swish swim swamp swan swing

swear swirl swarm swarthy swerve swerved* *special outline, see Distinguishing Outlines List4 It can be placed on a halved or doubled stroke:

swept sweated swathed swooned swelter Top of page

With hooks: Circle Sway can be combined with R hook to straight strokes, just like Circle S:

sweeper swabber sweater switcher swagger It is not combined with any other hooks. When used with stroke Ell, the initial hook that would normally form "Wel" becomes redundant:

ell well swell, low wallow swallow It never combines with the hook on stroke Yay or Way. If such a word arose, it would probably best to start the outline with Circle S on Way, followed by the appropriate strokes or diphone. Someone who is swayed might be a swayee? If you lived in the town of Swaye, maybe you could be travelling Swaye-wards? People do make up words and the shorthand writer has to write them, whether they are in the dictionary or not. Top of page

When not to use: Use Circle S on stroke Way: (a) if the SW is the only consonant in the outline, retaining it in derivatives:

sway sways swayer swaying but swayed/suède for convenience, swayback (b) In the middle of a word or outline:

dissuade persuade persuasion persuasive (suasion and suasive retain this form) In a derivative, the SW may end up in the middle:

sweetened but unsweetened, swerving but unswerving (e) before stroke Hay:

Swahili In some words the S and W, although together, are parts of separate words:

crosswise way (word=short form) glassware (but ware/wear) If a vowel comes before the SW, use stroke Ess and medial semicircle W:

assuage a-swirl aswarm* Aswan* (*these two not in shorthand dictionary)

Use Circle S and medial semicircle W where it is not convenient to use stroke Way:

Homeswell Harmsworth Do not be misled by longhand spelling:

sward has the W sound but sword does not. Do not be tempted, in a confused moment, to use Circle Sway for these types of words where the sound is SKW:

square squash squiggle Face shorthand learning square on, squash the problems and master the squiggles! See Theory 2 Vowels page for vowel placement for strokes that have loops.

        

Both loops are applied to the stroke in the same way as Circle S. Stee represents the sounds ST, and also ZD finally. Ster represents the sounds ST + slurred vowel + R. No vowel comes between the S and T sounds. Stee can be used at the beginning, middle and end of an outline. Ster can be used in the middle and end only. Read first and last. The name Stee is for convenience only, any vowel can come before or after it. The name Ster does approximate to the vowel it contains i.e. slurred and unaccented.

 The loops themselves are never vocalised – with Stee there is no   

vowel and with Ster the vowel is always slurred. There are no thick versions. Can be combined with R and N Hooks on straight strokes, but no other hooks. Can be followed by Circle S.

STEE LOOP Size and shape The loop should be shallow, closed and extend half the length of the stroke. Keep the final part flattened so that it does not look like Circle S. Ensure it is closed so that it does not look like a hook. If the stroke is halved, then the Stee loop is half of that length:

stiff fist stiffest, mist midst, steam steamed

state stated, study studied, stopped stored didst (archaic) On a doubled stroke, the loop remains the same size as on normal length strokes:

stamper stinker stentor Top of page

Placement and use: Write on the same side as Circle S:

stop stub stood stitch stage stick stag

stuff stove stethoscope Staithes stem stump stone sting

steal store storm stern story/storey stereo

paste best toast tossed dust deduced just chest cost guest

fast vast atheist lithest essayist ceased sauced zest schist lushest fascist

must warmest imposed nest honest west yeast haste Top of page

Can also represent the sound ZD finally:

posed buzzed abused dazed cruised refused mused nosed raised whizzed When used finally, there does not have to be a vowel before the ST:

lapsed traipsed waltzed blitzed Stee loop is used medially after Tee Dee Jay Ell, where it makes a good with a clear angle (but also see derivatives note below):

testing dusting adjusting fantastic statistics artistic logistics elastic stylistic Top of page

With other strokes, the is not so good, or cannot be made, so these use dot "-ing" or Circle S and Tee:

posting boasting fasting listing misting nesting wasting Hastings

posted boasted tasted dusted fasted listed misted nested wasted

customer fastidious instead plastic obstacle obstinate hostile

Dot "con-" can precede the loop:

constellation consternation constipated constitute constituted Sometimes a medial lightly-sounded T is omitted from the outline, therefore just Circle S is used:

last lastly, post postal, vast vastly vastness, most (short form) mostly

firstly first-rate mistake procrastinate institute Top of page

In compound words, even though the second word normally uses the loop, it is quicker to write one outline with full strokes – loops by nature involve a change of direction, whereas consecutive strokes keep the movement going forward more quickly; a speed-reducing pen-lift is also avoided:

book store bookstore, live stock livestock

up stairs upstairs, out stare outstare, stick mahlstick The following do not follow the normal rule about keeping the strokes of derivative parts separate but the convenience of the outlines prevails:

candle stick candlestick hail storm hailstorm Do not be misled by the longhand spelling, where the T is silent:

pestle bustle castle gristle nestle* whistle *Note the Circe S in "nestle" looks like a Stee loop, but it is not, this is merely a distortion of the circle when it is written between the two curves. A medial stee loop never crosses the outline.

chasten christen glisten listen fasten hasten Do not confuse with TS:

post pots, fast fats, toast tots, chest chats, must moats, waste waits Top of page

With R Hook on straight strokes The ST is read first, then the stroke with its R Hook next. There is always a vowel sound between initial Stee loop and the stroke. The R Hook is used in these cases because the vowel before the R sound is indeterminate:

stopper stutter stitcher stager sticker stagger With N Hook on straight strokes The stroke with its N Hook are read first, and the ST read last. There is no vowel between the N sound and the ST:

pounced bounced tensed danced chanced rinsed winced enhanced Where there is a vowel between the N sound and the ST, these outlines are derivatives using a full stroke En:

run runny runniest, puny puniest, brain brainy brainiest Top of page

Circle S following Circle S can be added after Stee loop by continuing the motion, writing the small circle on the other side of the stroke:

posts tests guests masts nests lists arrests rests

If there is a vowel before the last S, Stee loop is not used:

hosts hostess, pastes pasties, beasts beasties Circle S never precedes Stee loop:

cistern system cystic sustain Sistine sister Top of page

When not to use If the ST sounds are the only consonantal sounds in the word:

stay stow sit east oust iced asset Derivates of the above type of word retain the original outline and do not take Stee loop (but see also below**):

stay stayer staying (compare with stair and sting)

stow stowing stower (compare with store) **The past tense of words beginning with ST does however use the Stee loop, to avoid ending up with two full strokes:

stayed/staid stowed stewed Top of page

For the combination STR, use Circle S and stroke T with R Hook:

stray strayed straying strayer straw construe strain construct obstruct mistrust If a vowel occurs between the S and T:

best beset, test tacit, deposed deposit

faced facet, vest visit, star seater satire

If there is a vowel before an initial ST or after a final ST:

astound astonish astray astute esteem estate pasta chesty majesty gusto

feisty vista misty nasty lusty rusty Westie yeasty hasty When the ST precedes a stroke with a hook that cannot be combined with the loop, then Circle S and Tee must be used. The hooked form is used because the vowel is unaccented:

staple stipple stable stubble stickle stifle Top of page

Do not use initially to Ess or Ish

stasis Stacy apostasy stash station Before upward RT or a triphone, use Circle S and Tee:

start starting started (derivative: starter) Stortford steward stewardess Stewart/Stuart Cannot be written initially to Way, Yay, Hay, Kwa or Gwa Cannot be written on a Shun Hook:

perfectionist expressionist Not used at the end of doubled strokes – use a halved Ess:

tenderest Top of page

Derivatives Derivatives generally follow on from the original outline wherever possible, whilst a word that has a similar consonant structure may be written differently because it is either not a derivative of anything, or derived from a different outline:

majesty majestic compare with logistics

taste tasty tastiness compare with testings

dust dusty dustiness compare with dustings

stiff stiffly stuffy stuffily compare with stifle

stick sticky stickily compare with stickle

stub stubby stubbily compare with stubbly

stain stains stained compare with stand standard stunt stint constant stance Top of page

STER LOOP Size and shape

This is a large loop, written two thirds the length of the stroke, and fuller than the Stee loop. Keep the final part flattened so that it does not look like Circle Ses. Ensure the loop is closed that it is does not look like Shun Hook. It is not used on halved or doubled strokes. Placement and use Write on the same side as Circle S:

poster brewster bluster Webster lobster taster truster duster roadster

coaster cluster chorister huckster Baxter Manchester adjuster

foster vaster investor ancestor Cirencester* shyster (*This town name does have several other traditional local pronunciations)

master semester minister imposter hamster dumpster

nester sinister songster gangster Lester/Leicester Ulster bolster burster

roster forester barrister waster southwester souwester Hester Top of page

Can be used medially, only if there is a good :

masterpiece fosterer upholsterer bolsterer Chesterfield but Chesterton Stroke Ing cannot be added after Ster loop, therefore use dot "-ing":

fostering bolstering ministering blusterings For "-ingly" use all full strokes (the strokes for "-ingly" are often used dised elsewhere in shorthand, when a is not possible):

blusteringly Ster loop not used on doubled or halved strokes. The following are not doubled strokes, but two of the same stroke in succession:

popster* Chichester

(*not in dictionary)

Top of page

With N Hook on straight strokes The stroke and its N Hook are read first, and the Ster read last. There is no vowel between the N and the Ster:

punster spinster Dunster Where there is a vowel between the N sound and the Ster, the full stroke En is used:

banister canister Glennister Circle S following Circle S can be added after Ster loop by continuing the motion, writing the small circle on the other side of the stroke:

posters masters fosters adjusters s Top of page

When not to use If ST-R are the only consonantal sounds in the word:

aster Esther Easter oyster store stir Stour If there is a clear vowel between the ST and the R:

posture pasteurise moisture mixture Finisterre posterior posterity If a vowel follows and/or there is no vowel between the ST and R:

extra history mystery songstress blustery Top of page

Derivatives When a D sound follows, the Ster loop cannot be written medially and so the outline uses Circle S and TRD:

pestered blustered upholstered bolstered mastered

ed fostered clustered rostered There are very few cases where Ster is used medially, and in derivatives the outine generally uses Circle S and T or TR:

ministerial, ministry ministration (contractions), ministered ministrant (R omitted)

assist assister* (note sister) assistant, Gloucester Gloucestershire, dexter dextrous (*not in dictionary, I have based this on "ancestor")

yester but yesterday (contraction), yesteryear yesternight

master but master-key Words like "master-key" may equally well be written as separate words (both in shorthand and in transcription), as the hyphenation of pairs of words is not strictly fixed and can be changeable, according to the differing opinions of dictionary editors, as well as custom and fashion. However, writing one outline is quicker than writing two.

Hooks are used to indicate the sounds of R, L, N, F/V and Shun/Zhun, as alternatives to the full st revision/overview purposes and the main hooks pages cover the rules in detail. Attempting to lear alone is not advised and will lead to errors in their use. 

Small hooks are approximately one fifth the length of the stroke. They are similar size to C up.



Large hooks are approximately one third the length of the stroke.



Hooks are never in any circumstances written on the outside of curves.



Hooks are always written thin, never thick.



On straight strokes, the beginning of the hook is written parallel to the stroke, it does not c tend to look like either a plain circle S or a circle S attached to the hook.



In some combinations the hook is slightly deformed to allow the ing, e.g. "cudgel" unde way, the hook should not be curled round in such combinations. Where alternative forms ar Thee, and strokes that can be written either up or down, it is generally possible to avoid a l sometimes the formation of other parts of the outline have to take precedence over the exa



Keep the hooks open so they do not look like circle or loops.



Keep the small hooks small and the big hooks big – ensure there is a good difference betwe



The small hooks remain the same size regardless of whether the stroke is halved, full or do reduced in length slightly when the stroke is halved, to maintain legibility – do not reduce t a small hook.



In the R and L hook series, the hooked strokes have names – Per, Pel, Sher, Shel etc., so t easily, although the name is not quite in keeping with the primary use of the R and L hooks



The hooks always represent something after the stroke, even though with initial hooks the



In the table below, impossible combinations are shown with a dash.



Some combinations are theoretically possible but no examples are forthcoming, these are t words or non-English names. These unused combinations may be employed when creating hook may serve to represent a whole word e.g. Shun for "association".

Name Pee

Stroke R

pray

upper

L

N

play

pen

apple

Bee bray

blow

rubber

able

bone

Tee tray

ton bottle

utter

Dee done

draw paddle

adder

Chay

pitcher

satchel

chain

Jay cudgel badger

Jane

Kay crow

clay

acre Note the hook starts on the line, with the stroke tackle slightly above the line

cane Note the stroke starts on the line, with the hook below the line

Gay grow

eager

glow

eagle

Note the hook starts on the line, with the stroke slightly above the line Kway

-

-

gain Note the stroke starts on the line, with the hook below the line

queen

Gway

-

-

Hay

-

-

Hay

-

-

Gwen -

hone

Way

-

won/one

Hway

-

whine

Yay

-

-

yawn Ell

-

lone/loan

aniline

Ler

-

-

fuller than (phrase) Wel

-

-

woollen Hwel

-

-

Whelan Ar

Hooked form is allocated to reversed Eff-R

Hooked form is allocated to reversed Eff-L earn

Rer

Hooked form is allocated to reversed Vee-R

Hooked form is allocated to reversed VeeL

Ray

-

poorer than (phrase)

rain

Eff offer

free (reversed)

flow

raffle (reversed)

fun

Vee ever

river (reversed)

evil

vain/vane/ vein

rival (reversed)

Ith ether

Ethel

thin

three (reversed) Thee

then

other

bother (reversed) Ess

Hooked form is allocated to reversed Ith-R

-

Essene

Zee

Hooked form is allocated to reversed Thee-R

zone

Ish usher

initial

Sher always down

Shel always up

Zhee

shine

Asian

measure Em

men hammer

Imb, Imp

camel

-

hamper

Normally indicated by dampen Em plus PL/BL

Doubling also used for this sound:

jumper En inner final

nine

Ing

-

banker This is used for ing-ker and ing-ger, not ing-er.

Normally indicated by Ing plus KL/GL

hang on (phrase)

Doubling also used for this sound:

longer

Top of page

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is irable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things." (Philip

R & L Hook to straight strokes R is shown by a clockwise hook written at the beginning of the stroke. L is shown by an anticlockwise hook written at the beginning of the stroke.

pray play brew blue tray dray crow clay grew glue

upper apple rubber rubble batter battle adder addle acre eager eagle

etcher fetcher voucher lodger Roger catcher cadger cudgel hopper yapper Top of page

R & L Hook to curved strokes R is a small hook inside the beginning of the stroke:

offer ever every author either

shrew shrub shred shrink usher Esher masher washer

pressure fisher/fissure leisure measure erasure casher but cashier usury

inner honour tanner liner emmer slimmer hammer L is a large hook inside the beginning of the stroke. As hooks are never written outside the curve, the difference has to be shown by having a larger hook:

flow fly evil Ethel camel tunnel bushel essential Sher is always written downwards and Shel always upwards, so they can never be mistaken for each other:

pusher specialise, fisher official, fresher freshly

polisher palatial, finisher initial, harsher Herschel but harshly There appears to be no word that contains ZH-L with an slurred vowel, but should one occur, it would never be written upwards, as it is a thick stroke. That combination of sounds would probably is best written using the full stroke Ell.

casually, casual (optional contraction), usual/usually (short form) Top of page

Vocalisation Vowels are always placed outside the hook. Only the Shun Hook takes a vowel inside and then only in certain circumstances (see Shun Hook on Theory 2 Vowels page).

(a) No intervening vowel Vowels are read immediately before the double consonant or immediately after:

appraise oblique address across acclimatise (b) An indistinct, unaccented or slurred vowel between the two consonants. This is never shown and the outline is fully correct without it. With the R hook, this is generally the "-er" sound (equivalent to 2nd place light dot), hence the 2nd position of the outline. See Intervening Vowels on Theory 2 Vowels page for fuller explanation:

reader puddle miner/minor person personal terminal machinery Top of page

(c) Distinct vowel Although the intervening vowel is generally an indistinct one, some distinct vowels are allowed for convenience, to avoid unwieldy outlines. Such vowels are indicated somewhat differently from normal, by circles and intersected dashes, and their placement. See also Theory 2 Vowels/Intervening Vowels and Theory 15 R Forms page/R Hook For Brevity for more examples.

engineer mutineer veneer souvenir virulent ethnology Penelope In many words the second syllable starts with a consonant. As no vowel needs to be written between the syllables, using the hook results in a briefer outline:

perfect perceive purchase persuade pearl parcel pilgrim

journey vortex culminate garnish carnage furnish Care with "per-" needs to be taken, because there are many similar words starting with "pre-" and "pro-". Some combinations of consonants never occur in English without a vowel inbetween, so the hook may safely be used to obtain a briefer outline, as it will not clash with any other words:

telephone telegraph deliberate divulge charm Charles German

molecule moral nullify narrate nourish shilling

analytic enliven enlighten enlightenment* Dunlop *contraction Other examples:

collect courage college forget caramel colony ignore More examples on Theory 15 R Forms page/R Hook For Brevity (d) Third place vowels Unlike Circle S, the presence of a hook in the middle of a stroke does not affect the correct placement of a third place vowel against the second of the 2 strokes. This is because, although the hook is written between the strokes, the R or L that it represents is spoken after the stroke, i.e. there is nothing spoken between the two consonants other than the vowel:

trip tripper, cheap cheaper, tick tickle, dig digger

book booker, look looker, rich richer, teach teacher

nib nibble, rip ripple reapply, grim grimmer Compare the placement of the vowel in:

weep weeper wisp, deep deeply display

whip whipper whisper, rip ripper respray

fitch visage, groom groomer gruesome Top of page

Reversed forms for F V Ith Thee Ar Rer Ess Zee do not use R or L Hook (see below) and these shapes when hooked are used to represent reversed versions of hooked F V Ith Thee. Reversing is used:

 to obtain a better (both hooks)  to indicate absence of initial vowel (R hook only) The reversal is not a mirror image, either vertically or horizontally, but the "mirror" is along the stroke's own angle of formation. They cannot clash with Ar Rer Ess Zee because of the presence of the hook – see zither below which has both strokes together.

Fer

Ver

Ther

Fel

Vel

Thel

THer

Thel does not take right curve form. Most words with that combination use stroke Ell (see below). No known examples of the voiced THel. Reversed Forms, R Hook

(a) One stroke outlines The reversed form provides a means of vowel indication: left curve if there is a vowel or "dot con-" before, right curve if not. Derivatives that add another stroke retain the form if possible: Left:

offer suffer afront/affront affright affray

(afront = in front of; affront = insult)

over* ever every sever averse converse conversion conversation Avro Sèvres *short form

author ether athirst either soother seether cither Right:

free fray frost friend front fright fruit

verse versed version versus very* *short form

throw three thrice thirst thrust threat throat third* there* therefore* *short forms Top of page

(b) Two or more stroke outlines The form is used that gives a better (clear angle of , best hook, and similar motion of curves/hooks). If all else is equal, the right curve is preferable, because it then matches the R hooks on straight strokes, thus helping overall legibility: Left:

authoring affrighted affronted frighten fruity fraud Friday

frayed afraid fragile fridge free-hand* frank

froth free-thinking* freckle frugal phrenetic frantic *3rd place vowel is placed against the Fer because "hand" and "think" are short forms

tougher duffer chafer Jeffrey/Geoffrey overalls* Avril Trevor driver *Vowel placed against Ell because "over" is a short form

endeavour achiever Chivers jiver thievery arriver

verge converge leverage virtual vortices

vernacular verve verdant convertible vertical

authorship etherism ethernet (2 pronunciations) Right:

frap freebie Africa fresco fraction frequent frog

frame Ephraim freedom frump freeness* freesia *derivative retaining right curved form, despite the En stroke

frail frazzle free-hold frolic

freer fraternal French franchise frenzy

fragility fronted frightful puffer buffer coffer gaffer

loafer rougher refrigerator sniffer chamfer chauffeur

paver beaver believer cover giver lever/leaver silver

river weaver hover shaver mover Hannover hangover* *Vowel belongs with second word; being reversed, it does not count as short form here, therefore vowel is needed.

verb vertebra vortex verdict verdure vermin

throb throttle thread thrift thrive throng throwing feathery slithery Rotherham

thrum thrombosis thermal threesome thrill thrower thrush anther panther

thirteen thirty Thursday Luther lethargic Arthur arthritis arthritic arthropod

pother bather brother tether dither gather

leather writher weather heather zither farther but further furthered Notes:

affront affronted, confront* confronted*, front fronted *Under the rules, "confront" would be a left curve but it is too close in meaning to affront, therefore it is written with the right curve, its "-con dot" keeping it different from "front".

Distinguishing outlines: afresh fresh, affranchise franchise Top of page

Reversed Forms, L Hook

 Reversal is not used for vowel indication.  The reversed form is only used after straight horizontals (Kay Gay En) 

and straight upstrokes (Ray, Way, Whay, Yay, upward Hay) to provide a better ing. Where the outline starts with an L hooked stroke, the left curve is always used. This includes those with a "dot con-". This matches with the L hook on straight strokes, which are all left curves, thus helping overall legibility.

(a) L-hooked stroke starts the outline:

flow aflow fly Eiffel fluster flutter

flap flab flatten flood flitch fledge Fletcher

flake flask flag flame aflame flump

flounce flannel flowing fling fluent affluent

flail flair/flare flower flour flurry flourish fleecy flash

soufflé safflower flagrant conflagration conflict conflation confluence

evil civil civilisation vulnerable vulture vulpine vulva* wildebeest (x2) *All other words beginning "vul-" use stroke Ell

Ethel Ethelbert Ethelred (b) L-hooked stroke is in middle or end of outline: use left curve, unless reversed has better (i.e. after Kay Gay En Ray Way Whay Yay upward Hay): Left:

piffle baffle briefly stifle toughly duffel/duffle acephalous

earful earflap actively alternatively develop privilege

bevel bravely travel drivel ogival devolve Pavlov Right:

gruffly unflagging inflow inflation inflame inflict

snowflake rifle ruffle reflect

waffle whiffle yaffle muffle mayflower

gravel gravely arrival marvel weevil hovel Yeoville

cavalry naval/navel anvil revel athletic* betrothal *Uses Thel to avoid an unwieldy outline

All other TH-L combinations use stroke Ell:

ethyl methyl ethal lethal Athol Athlone athlete

Bethel brothel withal lithely blithely authority authorise Notes:

envelope novelise ethereal level monthly Top of page

Reversed Forms, Derivatives There is normally an effort to preserve original forms in derivatives, but legibility always takes top priority:

free freed, fry fried, fruit fruited, lever leverage

fresh fresher freshly, garish garishly, rash rasher but rashly A medial circle keeps the strokes separate, in the same way that an angle does:

frost frosted but fret fretted Similar motion of curves and medial hooks gives a faster outline:

verse versicoloured versify versicle fever favour favoured but favourite Some awkward combinations:

inflationary inflationary* inflationism inflationist "Inflationary" has a choice of full outline or contraction. For "inflationism" and "inflationist" a non-dictionary right-curve would be more legible.

reflation reflationary revaluation refloat refloated For "reflationary" a non-dictionary contraction similar to "inflationary" (i.e. right curve and omitting shun hook) is better. Any contraction decided upon must not clash with "revaluation". "Refloated" is presumably dised, rather than using the awkward ing of the reversed form, to accord with "floated". Top of page

Suffixes -ful and -fully The suffix "-ful" and "-fully" are normally written the same as the single words:

full fully careful carefully lawful lawfully

In some cases using the hooked stroke gives a better outline and the final vowel inserted if thought necessary:

powerful powerfully joyful faithful hopeful skilful cheerful colourful Special case for Ing Ing plus R hook is not used for ing-er as one might expect, but instead for ing-ger (hard G) and ing-ker, as these are more common sounds: ing-ker and ing-ger:

pinker banker tanker dunker clinker conker/conquer/conger finger thinker

bankrupt bankruptcy*

*contraction

fishmonger warmonger costermonger ironmongery* but mongrel *contraction Note:

Bangor clangour*

*"Clangour" can also be pronounced without hard G, like "clanger"

ing-er is written by just adding Ar, which has the advantage of retaining the original form. Some dialects in UK pronounce a hard G in words like these but this is not taken into in Pitman's Shorthand:

sing singer clang clanger swing swinger but singe singer (one who singes)

bang banger ring ringer hang hanger but hangar* *Formerly with hard G, but now pronounced like "hanger"; derived not from "hang" but from Medieval Latin angarium = shed

Although Ing can use the R hook, ing-ger and ink-ker can also be shown by doubling the stroke; this is used where the hooked form does not easily, or if alone.

longer ranker/rancour winker hanker hunger/hunker

anger/anchor sinker Use Ger if there is a final vowel:

hungry/Hungary angry Ing does not take a large L hook, because that would not indicate the sound of hard G or K that occurs in the middle. Therefore, Gay or Kay with L Hook is used:

bungle tangle jungle mingle uncle Top of page

Halving a hooked stroke Hooked strokes can be halved for T/D, according to the normal rules:

babbled battered bottled uttered addled toggled giggled haggled

offered float afloat flit flint honoured tankard drunkard

angered lingered hungered feathered mothered measured ushered hammered R & L Hook in middle of outline

In most cases the hook is easily accommodated:

paper papal deeper deeply cater label loader liner earner

bicycle designer listener retrain restrain tunneller channelling Sometimes the hook has to be opened out or flattened slightly. The pen should flow into the hook smoothly with no undue effort at making a sharp angle. On no should the pen be lifted from the paper. Do not curl the end of the hook round in an attempt to make it look like the normal full hook:

cheaper reply shipper taker docker trigger jogger vital Some Circle S + hook combinations in the middle of the outline need extra care to write clearly. A slight exaggeration of the size of the hook is unavoidable if the hook is to be seen at all, and giving the hook a very slight corner as it emerges from the stroke is helpful. It is safe to elongate the Circle S, as it will not clash with Stee loop which never crosses a stroke. Such expedients will keep the outline readable:

explain disbranch massacre miscreant gossamer This larger example shows the exact difference:

expose explain chasm gossamer If the hook cannot legibly be written, then Ar Ray or Ell must be used:

runner winner winery Henry runnel tamer dimmer The R is omitted in some words in order to secure a brief outline:

demonstrate* demonstration ministry* ministered transcript subscript subscriber *contractions

On curved strokes, Sway Circle/Stee Loop cannot be used at the same time as R or L hook:

swimmer swooner suaver swivel steamer stainer stinger Top of page

When not to use A distinct vowel between the consonant and the R or L sound generally requires separate strokes. This allows you to see how the word breaks into its natural syllables, thus aiding legibility:

pray par parry, play pal, average aver avarice

display dispel, flew full, flower failure, finger vinegar

ripper repair, ripple repeal, rebel rebel

personal personnel, milliner millionaire "-ery" "-ary" As the vowels are distinct, stroke Ray is used, so that the outline can be fully vocalised:

brave braver bravery, grain grainer granary, verse varies

refine refiner refinery, wafer midwifery Sometimes the consonant and the following R or L belong to different words, or word and suffix, and so separate strokes are used to accurately reflect the separate syllables:

thrum bathroom, masher mushroom, shrimp showroom

enabling sibling, dandruff woodruff midriff, usher ashery ashore Strokes not taking R or L hook Way, Yay, Hay, Kwa, Gwa cannot take an initial R or L hook because because they already have an initial attachment, as well as being unpronounceable without a vowel between. An R or L sound after them will use strokes. Ray, El, Ler.

 Ray with initial attachment would look like Way, Whay, Yay or upward  

Hay Ell with initial hook is used for Wel, Whel Ler already signifies two consonants

Ess, Zee, Ar, Rer do not take an initial R or L hook, because of the uncommonness of the combinations. Their initially hooked forms are "borrowed" by F V Ith Thee as a reversed form, see explanation above. An R or L sound after them will use other strokes. N & F/V hook to straight strokes N is shown by a clockwise hook at the end of the stroke.

pen open bone bin ton dine done chain chin John Jane June

gain again rain terrain wine won/one win whine yen hen hone F or V is shown by an anticlockwise hook at the end of the stroke. The hook signifies either F or V and context is required to ascertain which one is meant. F and V are the least common sounds of all the hooks and, with judicious vowel insertion, this is not a problem in practice:

pave puff proof/prove reproof/reprove reprieve buff rebuff above brief deprive

tough tiff doff deaf chafe chief active attractive dive endive drive chive achieve

gave gaffe graph gruff grove groove grief/grieve aggrieve engrave

rough/ruff roof rife/rive rove tariff deserve reserve swerve sheriff

wife waif/wave weave whiff huff heave behave behoove Top of page

N hook to curved strokes N is shown by a small hook inside the end of the stroke:

fine fan fun phone fin often soften refine roughen

van vine vain/vane/vein even Evans riven heaven leaven Bevan

thin thane methane polythene marathon dethrone Nathan Athens

than then thine heathen leathern assign Essene zone ozone zen ocean Asian

man mine moon nine none impugn campaign campion Ell takes its N Hook at its end, whether upwards or downwards. An Ell standing alone is always written upwards and therefore a hook at the base is Wel and at the top is L-N. See also below When Not To Use/Downward Ell

lane lone/loan line fallen nylon aniline but will well

earn urn, fuller than, hang on (phrases) F or V cannot be shown by a final hook on a curved stroke, because attachments (circles, loops, hooks, attached vowels) are never written outside the curve, so a full stroke Eff or Vee must be used.

fife five Viv Vivian thief thieve arrive

sheaf shave love leaf muff move knife nave/knave Ish + N hook is used in those cases where the Shun Hook is not appropriate or convenient, mostly single stroke words and sometimes sh-nt/sh-nd:

shine shined Sean/Shaun shown sheen shin shinned

ashen machine ancient mentioned pensioned sanctioned Top of page

Hooks in middle of outline (a) The hook is used medially if it makes an easy and clear :

penning paving profit prophet provide provoke perfect prefix

plenty planet browning bluffing briefing

traffic toughen telephone advance define defect defer diverse

driving divide drifting toning training dining draining tendency presidency

canning counting graining graphic organic

fanning fountain convenient Athenian manning mining (b) With horizontals and upstrokes, a hook may be impossible to write or the angle insufficient for clarity, so strokes En is used:

count counted, ground grounded, gift gifted

surround surrounded, rift rifted, wind windy, waft wafted

hound hounded, hand (short form) handy, heft hefty, iron* ironing* ironic *R sound is always shown, even though it is not pronounced in many English accents; exceptions only occur in a very few abbreviating devices.

mind minded, mound/mount mounted mountain maintain maintenance (c) Stroke En is used when it produces a more facile outline or to ensure distinguishing outlines, mainly before Chay/Jay and Ess/Zee:

plunge sponge expunge pinch poncho bench Benjamin blanch

drench drainage strange stringent tonnage tinge contingence change challenge impinge

but bandage appendage to avoid using a full stroke Dee

lunge lunch crunch munch dentist dental suddenly

mange manger manage manager mannish garnish regency Stroke En is preferable when it starts its own syllable, so long as the remains good. Syllables generally have their own stroke, with abbreviating devices used for additional sounds within the syllable. In practice you will omit most vowels and the remaining consonant structure of the outline generally lets you know where the syllables break and where the vowels are:

lemonade panacea lunacy compare mend/meant pansy fancy brilliancy solvency

Barton Morton Martin compare baritone puritan Samaritan

bountiful panache compare painful punish banish Spanish replenish brandish

lioness zoneless Zionist compare lions zones Zion's (d) The hook may need to be opened out slightly to the next stroke:

chiefly jovial ignominy canary appendix opencast penmanship (e) Medial N hook is not used if it unbalances the outline. If both attachments are on the same side of a straight stroke and therefore written in the same direction, the outline would tend to curve and become illegible at speed. This mostly occurs in past tenses with the suffix "-ted" and "-ded":

paint painted plant planted but print printed, sprint sprinted, misprint misprinted

grant granted, ground grounded, graft grafted, decant decanted

band banded blend blended, attend attended but brand branded, strand stranded

appended abandoned expended responded supplanted disappointed* suspended* *Although the attachments are on the same side, the initial stroke helps to keep the second stroke straight, therefore N Hook can be used.

Note compound words: up-end up-ended print-out bran-tub Top of page

Vocalisation The stroke is vocalised as normal, with a third place vowel being written outside the hook. The stroke is read first, then the vowel, then the hook.

pan pen bin bon bun boon tine town tune

open happen ribbon fatten ad pigeon attune If the next syllable starts with a vowel, the vowel sign is placed against the next stroke, as it is spoken after the N sound:

opening open-air open-eyed defence/defense plantain A fully vocalised outline will generally have a vowel sign after the stroke and before the N or F/V hook, even if that vowel is slurred or unaccented (unlike some of unaccented vowels with the R & L hooks):

eaten pardon deaden kitchen kitten reckon dozen raisin exception: cousin* *The dictionary outline gives no second vowel for this word, despite its similarity to dozen and raisin. A third-place light dot vowel would be appropriate, if vowel insertion was felt necessary. Top of page

Halving and doubling The stroke is read first, then the hook, then the halving or doubling sound. It is easier to if you think of the hooked stroke as being halved or doubled:

pen penned/pent, pave paved, puff puffed, pine pint/pined, bone boned, buff buffed

tone toned, tough toughed/tuft, drain drained, drive drift, gain gained, gave gift

chain chained, chuff chuffed, jive jived, win wind went, wave waved, wife waft

hone honed, heave heaved, rain rained, rough/ruff roughed/ruffed, rave raved

fine fined/find, vain/vane/vein vent event, thin thinned, assign assigned

shun shunned/shunt, man manned, nine anoint, lean leaned, earn earned

ponder tender canter render winter minder fender venture Circles or loops are read last of all, after the hook and the halving/doubling:

bone bones, bond bonds, bounder bounders

pain pains, paint paints, painter painters

spin spins spinster spinsters, Dan dance dances danced

dove doves, drift drifts, drifter drifters

fine fines, find/fined finds, finder finders

lean leans, lend/Lent lends, lender lenders

rain rains, rent/rend rents/rends, render renders, raft rafts, rafter rafters

hunt hunts, hunter hunters, win wins, wonder wonders The only time the hook is read after a halving or doubling sound is when the hook is used in a few phrases to represent another whole word. This goes against the rule for the order in which the elements are read – the rule is always observed within a word, and only occasionally broken for adding a word in a phrase. The instances of such phrases are few but the usefulness gained is worthwhile, and no clashes will be found: serVeD, leNDer (normal order within a single word) sorT oF, laTer oN (phrase order)

part, part of, sort, sort of but parts of, sorts of compare bereft served

later on/later than, further on/further than compare lender fender If the N hook is already in use in the main word, you cannot then make it do double duty for the next word in the phrase as well, such as "kinder than" "blunder on" "gift of" "bereft of". Derivatives Derivatives will not always retain the N hook of the primitive outline, they will vary according to the subsequent strokes, vowels, and attachments that are involved, in exactly the same way as spoken words change their syllable stress and their vowels. This also applies to words that are not derivatives but share the same consonant structure. Where the syllable after the N F or V is unaccented, a following R- or Lhooked stroke or full strokes are often used, producing a better reflection of the pronunciation and therefore more legible outlines:

prefer proffer, discovery discover, refer roofer

defer deferential, differ differential

brave bravery braveness bravest braver bravely

grave graver engraver gravely graveness

tough toughness tougher toughly, midwife midwifery wafer Derivatives may replace a stroke with a hook, or vice versa, to accommodate vowels or suffixes, or to obtain a compact or faster outline:

serve serving served server servery service servant serval

solidify solidified, electrify electrification, deviate deviation

pains painstaking painless, found founder foundry foundation founded

geographic geographical geography geographer In some cases distinguishing outlines are needed:

refer referee reference, revere reverie reverence

provide proviso providence, pervade pervasive, perverse perversion

situation station, divide defied Top of page

When not to use When N is the only stroke, no hook is possible:

sun stone swoon When a final vowel follows the N F or V sound, the stroke En is used. Thus the existence of a final vowel is indicated without actually writing it:

pen penny, puff puffy, proof/prove privy, Ben Benny, Bev bevy

tune tuna, toff toffee, Dan Danny, Dave Davey

cough coffee, cave cavy, gran granny

men many, nan nanny, Len Lenny

earn/Ern Ernie, run runny, rave revenue

wave wavy, win winnow, hone honey, heave heavy Where a medial hook would be illegible or cannot be written, use full strokes:

defame prevail defile cavity gravity refuge refuse reveal When the N sound is preceded by a circle or loop, there is no stroke to put a hook on. In these cases using stroke En is the only option and therefore does not indicate a following vowel:

prison basin treason design chosen Jason suggestion

fasten ensign monsoon reason hasten

After a curved stroke, when adding a Ses, Stee or Ster loop after the N sound, the full stroke En is required, in order to be able to write the circle or loop:

fine finest mean meanest minster minister lenses With straight strokes, a full stroke En is needed if there is a vowel before the ST:

keenest canister compare against canst A few words retain the hook and used halved Ess for the "-est" sound, to gain a better outline:

kindest grandest earnest plainest toughest Use stroke N after a triphone starting with diphthong U:

genuine pursuance continuant constituent compare constant continent After other triphones, and diphones, N hook is used:

buoyancy truant neon client gradient expedient ebullient diaphanous Some exceptions to above:

buoyant truancy triune Rayon ruin ruined fluent fluency affluent confluent pioneer Following a curve, a final NS sound is always stroke En plus Circle S. As such words are not plurals, the stroke En allows easy derivatives to be formed (explained in full on Theory 4 Circles/S versus Z sound page):

NZ sound: fens NS sound: fence fencing You cannot use the NS circle (i.e. hook N closed up into a circle to indicate NS) medially between two strokes because that would rely on the direction of the circle. As the direction of a medial circle is decided by convenience only, its direction cannot indicate an N Hook (see Theory 4 Circles/Medial Circles for fuller explanation).

dusty density destroy, expense expensive (short form) expensiveness, pens pencil Paisley

prince princeling princess principled prosper precept In the following outlines the NS/NZ circle is being used to show the N, but that is allowed because there is no other stroke immediately following, only the small shun hook:

compensation condensation transition transitional compare compensatory transit In some cases it is possible to show the medial hook followed by Circle S. These need extra care to write clearly and it is helpful to exaggerate the length of the hook and the flattened circle (see also explanation of R Hooks in middle of outline which have a similar formation):

ransom kinsman lonesome winsome hansom (but handsome derivative of "hand") Downward Ell is generally an upstroke, but an initial Ell is written downwards before horizontals (Kay, Gay, En, Em, Ing) to show that there is a vowel before the Ell, and then stroke En is used, because an N Hook would make the Ell look like Wel. Using stroke N in such cases does not necessarily signify a following vowel:

alone lone/loan well

Inside curves As with other hooks to curves, the Shun Hook is always written inside the curve, never outside. It is written approximately one third the length of the stroke (the same size as the L hook on curved strokes):

fashion fission fusion infusion confusion fruition Friesian

vision television evasion invasion innovation renovation deprivation

conservation starvation devotion elevation session concession botheration

association* appreciation depreciation differentiation propitiation initiation emaciation *See alternative outline below

mission omission permission submission motion promotion locomotion

remission intermission animation transmission* ambition imion nation donation *N omitted

attention intention ammunition diminution onition explanation clinician

function junction unction compunction distinction extinction sanction (K sound omitted)

lotion lesion convolution revolution revelation volition

annihilation relation ablution erosion oration You cannot combine the large Shun Hook with N Hook, the full stroke N must be used:

pension expansion mention mansion tension contention pretension detention Top of page

Straight strokes:

The Shun Hook can be written on either side of a straight stroke, according to the following rules. It is written approximately one third the length of the stroke (the same size as the hooks in Kwa and Gwa). Balancing the outline takes precedence over rules (b) and (c): (a) Balancing the outline The Shun Hook is written on the opposite side to an initial attachment (circle, loop or hook), to help the outline remain straight when written at speed. If the attachments at each end were on the same side, the stroke would tend to curve and become illegible:

suppression conception reception, completion compression

depletion depression, implosion impression, explosion expression

station citation superstition* sedation sedition consideration contrition *Dictionary has a U diphthong for "super" but this is no longer a common pronunciation

secretion seclusion, concretion conclusion, accretion occlusion

celebration conflagration incursion oppression appropriation refrigeration

abrasion hesitation intrusion extrusion Prussian Goshen* *dictionary outline, some books give downwards stroke Ish for Goshen

Two straight strokes in the same direction also require their attachments balancing:

probation approbation correction collection A preceding curved stroke that makes no angle with the straight stroke requires to balanced, for the same reason, i.e. to to prevent outline becoming one long indeterminate and illegible curve:

vacation invocation fiction affection confection infection affliction

location selection hypothecation* *slight but insufficient angle, therefore needs balancing

The strokes that have initial attachment as part of their basic form also need to observe balance, as there is the same tendency to curve the outline:

persuasion cohesion adhesion equation Top of page

(b) Away from the preceding vowel If there is no balancing required, then the direction of the Shun Hook is able to indicate the presence of a vowel, without actually writing it. The hook is written on the opposite side of the preceding vowel. Mnemonic: the hook "shuns" the vowel:

option ion potion, action occasion, auction caution cushion, defection deification

portion Persian operation apparition, abortion aberration, aspersion aspiration

education diction, induction indication, election allocation allegation

direction* attraction refraction reflection Egyptian adoption distribution libation *2 pronunciations

contraction construction constriction complexion application inaction embrocation

ration variation discolouration (discoloration) maceration laceration

Polynesian Melanesian Caucasian decoction Eurasian but Australasian "er-shun" uses Ray rather than Ar as it keeps the outline moving forward and is therefore quicker and more legible:

insertion coercion immersion diversion inversion introversion* Martian * doubled "intro-" has no dot vowel, but "inter-" always does

But version marchioness Top of page

(c) After Tee Dee Jay As there is always a vowel between a Tee, Dee or Jay, and the Shun Hook, it is not necessary to indicate its presence, and therefore, if there is no balancing required, the Shun Hook is written on the right hand side (anticlockwise) in order to keep the outline moving forward:

edition addition audition rotation notation annotation salutation

tradition transportation* erudition liquidation logician magician *N omitted Top of page

Small Shun Hook The small Shun Hook can be used after a Circle S or En Hook+Circle S by continuing the motion of the circle. The end of the hook is level with the end of the stroke:

composition compensation decision condensation

taxation vexation acquisition inquisition

cessation conversation musician incision sensation

authorisation sterilisation pulsation canalisation A preceding third place dot vowel or diphone is shown next to the small Shun Hook; second place vowels are not indicated; first place vowels do not occur between S-Shun:

precession precision decision

pronunciation denunciation renunciation annunciation but enunciation* *To distinguish it from "annunciation"

Association Below is an advanced non-dictionary outline that reflects its alternative pronunciation "asso-SI-ashun", and its use is worth considering, as it is such a common word. Its representation in phrases is however normal theory that you will find in instruction books (although the Circle S in the phrases is representing the first S sound i.e. "so-shun"):

association, regional association, medical association, political association Derivatives of this, as well as similar words and their derivatives (appreciation etc, see above) all use stroke Ish and this should be adhered to, as not all of them can be pronounced with the S sound as an alternative. To "convert" them all would create clashes, unreliability and ultimately

hesitation. The S sound seems to be preferred when there are two SH's in the word, which can be awkward to say clearly. See also Theory 4 Circles/Small Shun Hook Top of page

Adding S Circle S can be added to both large and small Shun Hooks:

actions fashions decisions conversations The Shun hooks do not take Stee or Ster loops, or any other hooks. The Circle S may end up slightly flattened into a small loop but should be kept small. The Shun Hook to should not be allowed to sprawl, to avoid mistaking it for a full stroke. Imagine these pairs written less than neatly and without vowels:

actions anxious, fashions fishes, editions dishes Words written in longhand with double SS are still just plain Shun, do not be tempted by the longhand spelling to insert an additional Circle S:

ion compare position, impression compare imprecision Top of page

In middle of outline Medial Shun Hooks generally well, although in some s the large hook needs to be opened out slightly.

optional sectional rational additional conditional traditional

emotional promotional national notional occasional exceptional

affectionate extortionate confectioner commissioner conditioner probationer pensioner* *Ray is used in "shun-er" when it makes a better than Ar

dictionary revolutionary visionary cautionary discretionary confectionery missionary

positional transitional conversational conversationalist sensational sensationalism

actionable fashionable impressionable impressionism The direction of the Shun Hook is maintained when it is used medially, but in a few words it changes sides in order to the last syllable:

station stationery* stationary* dision disionate *How to the difference: Stationery (=paper) ends in ER like paper Stationary (=motionless) ends in AR like parked car

Shun Hook cannot take a loop, therefore "-shun-ist" uses a halved Ess, either up or down:

perfectionist revolutionist educationist revisionist "-s-shun-ist" needs expanding to full strokes:

succession successionist opposition oppositionist conversation conversationist Some endings have to be dised or use full strokes for the "shun":

pensionable mentionable sanctionable Small Shun Hook can be used medially in derivatives:

positional positioned positioning requisitioned Top of page

On a halved stroke The Shun Hook is written about half the length of the halved stroke and the T or D is sounded last:

actioned conditioned rationed fashioned motioned provisioned functioned

But sanctioned imioned affectioned With stroke En, halved stroke Ish is preferred, because the between a full stroke and a halved En would have no angle and be illegible:

pensioned tensioned mentioned

Note that the halvings above only represent D, mostly past tenses. For the SH-NT sound, use Ish and not the Shun Hook, because they are not derivatives of any word that uses Shun:

ancient omniscient prescient* impatient* patient* compare ionate which has a vowel before the T *full Ish, because lack of sharp angle: halving would be acceptable (as it "brushed" "pushed") but with the hook as well the outline would become indistinct Top of page

When not to use After a triphone (mostly long U diphthong plus another vowel), the stroke Ish is used to provide distinguishing outlines:

situation station, evacuation vacation, graduation gradation

continuation contention, extenuation extension

tuition striation* evaluation valuation** **short form

*upwards Ish to balance the outline

The following words use the Shun Hook despite the triphone, in order to avoid a very long outline and as they are unlikely to clash with another word:

accentuation fluctuation infatuation insinuation perpetuation punctuation superannuation* *Dictionary has a U diphthong for "super" but this is no longer a common pronunciation

Shun Hook is used after diphones:

radiation mediation aviation deviation alleviation Some words look like shun but on closer inspection they do not contain the SH sound:

T sound (often slurring to CH): question exhaustion combustion bastion fustian suggestion

S or Z sound: hessian Parisian Elysian (a) Thin stroke is halved to add T sound:

pat apt tapped wrapped spot sapped supped sipped prate plate sprint stopped swept

taut tight teat treat straight strut street chat chit itched stitched switched

cat act sacked stacked staked stickered stroked skate scoot ached crate cleat

pricked backed blocked tacked/tact tract/tracked racked docked mocked knocked

fat fight fought fraught fright flight float flit aft soft sift swift staffed fluffed

thought threat throat east iced shot shoot brushed crashed fished light slight let lit

wilt welt wet wit yet yacht hat hot heat height quote quit squat Use stroke Dee to add D sound to a thin stroke:

pad paid prod pride/pried prayed sprayed played splayed plead plied

tad Ted toad tread trod stride strode strayed strewed/Strood chide chewed

code kid keyed clad cried skid skied cowed crowd screwed

fad fade feed fried frayed freed Fred thud thread shade showed shred

led lead sled willed wild wide wade/weighed head yawed quad squad Top of page

(b) Thick stroke is halved to add D sound:

bad bed bid bride bread/bred braid/brayed breed blade sobbed stubbed swabbed

dad dead did died dried jawed jade edged pledged staged caged

good God guide egged sagged tagged dogged nagged mugged swigged glowed

grade/greyed/grayed void sieved staved bathed* breathed clothed *past tense of bathe

seethed soothed smoothed swathed zed eased oozed Use stroke Tee to add T sound to a thick stroke:

bat bought boat boot bright brought blight bloat bleat

dot debt date jet jut get goat gloat greet grate* vet vote *great is a short form, halved

Essentially, halving these short words keeps the light/unvoiced sounds together and the heavy/voiced sounds together. This occurs naturally in English when there is no vowel between e.g. "apt" and "ebbed". There are a great number of such short words in English and as these outlines contain minimal information when unvocalised, this rule provides a degree of

differentiation. It might be easier to thus: halve for two thins or two thicks. Top of page

(c) Final hook If there is a final hook, halving can signify either T or D, for both thin and thick strokes. This allows many past tenses to be formed without changing the form. The T or D is spoken after the hook sound:

pint/pined, puffed paved, bent/bend, briefed braved, brand brunt, stand stint, zoned

tint/tinned, dint/dinned, dived daft, chant chained, t/ed, cant/canned can't

scanned/scant, cleaned Clint, gaunt gained, grant ground, graft grooved, fent/fend

font fond, fount found, vent/vend, shunt/shunned shined, learnt/learned Note: learnèd (d) Final attached diphthong Halving can signify either T or D, for both thin and thick strokes:

proud ploughed/plowed pout bowed* browed tout trout doubt drought *rhyming with "loud"

cute/cued/queued skewed spewed spout viewed vowed stout Stroud*

*Dictionary outline, but stroke D would be clearer if the place name is unfamiliar

In plurals, the vowel is no longer ed and so the outline reverts to rule (a) and (b) above, i.e. write both strokes if one is thick and one is thin:

bout bouts doubt doubts drought droughts feud feuds Outlines that represent "two thins or two thicks" can retain their halving in the plural, they are not relying on an attached diphthong to be allowed to halve:

pout pouts sprout sprouts tout touts trouts mute mutes newt newts nude nudes

Exception: swerve swerved because it would not be clear to write Circle Sway and a hook on the same side of a halved stroke. Top of page

Words of more than one syllable (a) General rule is that halving can represent either T or D, regardless of whether the halved stroke is thick or thin. The more strokes or attachments that an outline has, the easier it is to read, and so there is less need for the restrictive rule that covers monosyllables:

inept tepid insipid reptile rapid abrupt morbid rabbit rabid abide debit

seated seeded studied studded stated added wedded wetted

expedite credit budget budged offered suffered severed cravat

method epithet complied complete supplied displayed

uttered ordered settled criticised ostracised measured treasured leisured

complaint/complained, restraint/restrained, content/contend, system issued Past tenses in "-ed" generally halve the last stroke, and therefore the outline will sometimes change slightly. You cannot just add stroke Dee to the end of the existing outline. As a rule outlines with similar sounds have similar outlines and do not show differences based on what part of speech it is (although some clashes do need to be dealt with by having distinguishing outlines):

note noted intend intended respond responded waft wafted (b) Some two-syllable words obey the monosyllable rule: Some to provide distinguishing pairs:

sacred secret, applaud applied, asset assayed aside acid Note also: acidic acetic

Some because, despite their 2 syllables, halving would produce an outline as short as the monosyllables, and so there is the same need for differentiation between T and D:

afraid echoed stupid abate abut/abbot edit audit sedate Top of page

(c) An initial stroke halved generally follows the thin/T thick/D rule:

protection protagonist pretext potable bedlam bton The opposite combination uses full stroke:

product prediction podium bottom bitumen detail deter deteriorate glutinous

academic schedule credulous

Exceptions: between contradict detect detached determine Top of page

Ray

Ray halved for T is never used standing alone, or alone with only a final Circle S, to avoid similarity with short forms "and" and "should", and a halved Chay (see also the Extra Care section below):

rat rate rot rut right/rite/write/Wright rote/wrote writ writs/Ritz irate

rights/rites/writes/Wright's rates roots, and is/and his, should his It may be halved if it has an initial circle or loop, a final hook or when ed to another stroke.

sort concert round rant/Rand surround rift raved

certain ascertain certify part parrot carrot curate accurate temperate

artist article artifice artificial rationed apportioned If there is no final hook, use stroke Dee for a following D:

ride road reed hurried horrid torrid lurid parade charade

Exceptions: writing written compare righting rotten Halved Ray is used finally for -art, also for -ard where stroke Ard cannot be ed:

starred start paired part

gear geared, gore gored, colour coloured, tailor tailored

hazard mansard Hansard Top of page

Hay: if there is only one stroke in the outline, use upward Hay halved for T. If hooked, halve for either T or D:

hat hats hot height heat hint hunt honed hound haft heaved If there is no hook, use stroke Dee:

hide head heed haddock hewed/hued* Note: hew/hue

*Despite the final ed diphthong in hew/hue, if halved the Hay would then be alone and unhooked, and therefore could only signify T, not D.

Retain the form in derivatives wherever possible:

heat heating heated, hide hiding hidden, head heading headed

hunt hunting hunted, hot hottest

hatbox hat-trick hotbed hotness hateful When there are other strokes in the outline, up or downward Hay halved may be used for either T or D as convenient:

behind behaved heterodox heterogeneous cowhide go-ahead Overall, on an unhooked upward Hay, it is safe to halve for T and use stroke Dee for D. The two outlines "cowhide" and "go-ahead" seem to be the only examples of Hay being halved for D.

overheat overhead dead-heat dead-head Top of page

Way Yay Halve for T; if hooked, halve for either T or D:

white wait want/wand went/wend wind wind waft waved/waived yet yacht yawned If there is no hook, use stroke Dee:

wide wade weed wood you'd yawed The endings "-ward- wart -wort -yard" are described on Theory 20 Contracted Suffixes page. Top of page

Extra care with straight strokes: If written perfectly, at the correct angle and length, there is no clash between the following pairs, but at speed this small distinction may suffer and it is important to be aware of the necessity to maintain accurate outlines:

rinds similar to as the/has the – rounds similar to is the/his the – hat similar to chats

spot similar to as to/as of – pots similar to of us/of his – pits similar to to us/to his

tights similar to on us/on his Rising strokes such as "and" "should" Ray and Hay must keep their shallow angle. As the examples above are different parts of speech, that helps greatly in reading back, but similar pairs that are the same parts of speech

present the greatest danger of misreading. If you write extremely small outlines, the distinctions will be more difficult to maintain. Top of page

Em En Ell Ar These strokes in their plain unhooked form are halved as normal for T:

mat meet moat omit emit summit smote remit remote permit promote

not/knot note neat ant scent* present pleasant descent intellect internal *"sent" is a short form, above the line, to distinguish it from "send"

pelt bolt tilt dealt jolt kilt gilt/guilt fault felt volt

melt moult smelt knelt insult little lilt ultimate halt hilt

art artful heart/hart hurt hurts/Hertz desert/dessert When halved for D in their plain unhooked form, these strokes are thickened, in order to provide a more distinctive outline: (a) Em and En M-D and N-D strokes are not compound consonants, as they can have a vowel inbetween:

mad mode mood amid middle timid seemed steamed hemmed gummed

slimmed armed rhymed roamed roomed assumed presumed framed

need nod end owned annoyed sand send sound stoned stained swooned

renewed defend/deafened designed thousand recommend command commend ST-N-T/D: for root words, use the formation as in "stand"; for past tenses, keep the original form:

stand, stunt stunted, stone stoned, stain stained When a halved M or N is also hooked, this can signify either T or D, as do all hooked thin strokes, and no thickening is required (thickened hooked form belongs to Imp/Imb/Ing):

manned mend/meant mint cement summoned

remind demand lament payment bemoaned anoint renowned lenient

simmered hammered rumoured mannered honoured innards tunnelled channelled Top of page

(b) Eld Ard The strokes Eld and Ard are compound consonants, they do not have a vowel inbetween. They are always written downwards, as no thick stroke is ever written upwards:

old ailed pulled pooled boiled tiled retailed detailed doled

chilled jailed galled killed skilled failed field fields

revealed mould/mold moulding/molding mailed mildly pummelled nailed kneeled

lulled cancelled excelled puzzled bustled bristled tasselled jostled

rolled world whirled overhauled behold foothold withhold

Stroke Eld cannot have any attachments if standing alone, and such words need full strokes. It can be ed in a phrase/compound word:

sold sailed styled oldest hold/holed healed wild but Oldham, old age, oldwife Use full strokes if Eld cannot be written:

muzzled whistled embezzled shield shelled assailed hustled

scheduled quarrelled swirled unfurled Stroke Ard is used when there is a vowel before, and no final vowel after:

aired erred card cord coward hard hardly hardest hoard heard unheard arduous

ordeal ordain ordinal ordinary extraordinary spared

prepared shared stared required afford conferred

deplored marred pondered slandered standard Note: standardise

Exception: assured retains its form in assuredly assuredness, these two are the only instances where there is a vowel between, although it is very lightly sounded. Ard is able to take an initial Sway Circle, Stee Loop or W-sign, and Circle S either end:

ward wired sired sword swords sward stored stirred steered Sometimes Ray is used for the -erd sound where it makes for a quicker outline or where Ard does not easily:

referred preferred deferred answered censored wondered wintered If there is a vowel between L & D and R & D sounds, compound consonants are inappropriate and full strokes are used:

laid lid load followed valued allowed allayed relayed unload truckload

red/read reed/read arid married narrowed queried salaried Top of page

Ing These strokes cannot be halved in their plain form, as those shapes are used for the halved and thickened versions of Em En Ell Ar, where they are of more use because of their greater frequency. Ing plus T or D needs to have the full stroke added, as the halved form is unavailable, being allocated to N-D. The lightly sounded K sound that comes inbetween the two is omitted:

distinct instinct adjunct banged wronged

longed belonged prolonged hanged* *Some regional British accents pronounce a hard G at the end of such words as "long" "hang" but this is not shown in Pitman's Shorthand.

Note: ink inked wink winked show the K because it is part of the original outline. Ing may be halved if hooked for R, and the light K or G sound is omitted:

anchored/angered blinkered tankard drunkard fingered lingered hungered/hunkered Top of page

Ler Rer These are never halved, such combinations use full strokes:

coloured tailored mirrored reared lured leered Compound words (a) Second word of the compound begins with T or D The first word of the compound does not use halving to indicate the T or D of the following word, as this would obscure where the syllables naturally split. Keeping both words in their normal form is more legible:

tabletop* half-tone half-dozen half-time full-time write-up *Dising would also be acceptable, to avoid invading line below

Some common words override this rule to make a briefer outline:

beforetime beforehand sometimes Some phrases also use halving for a T or D that rightly belongs to the next word, or even a whole word like "it" and "to". They can do this because

phrasing is a matter of choice and you would only use it if you felt it was readable and convenient:

at one time, considerable time, if it is possible, I am unable to (b) Either word of the compound ends in T or D The compound word as a whole is treated the same as a word of more than one syllable. One of the words may end up halved, and so be written differently than when standing alone:

copy right but copyright, up right but upright, right angle but right-angle

brush wood but brushwood, go ahead but go-ahead, cow hide but cowhide Top of page

Vowel placement Vowels are placed to the stroke as normal, and read before or after that stroke. The three places of the vowels are closer together along the stroke, so that more care is needed when inserting them.

 A vowel spoken before the T or D is placed against the halved stroke  A vowel sounded after the T or D is written against the following stroke When you have such a medial T or D, or a medial circle or hook, you must that the vowel sound cannot "jump" over it. Each vowel sign must stay with its own stroke, and so the rule regarding putting a third-place vowel against the next stroke does not apply here:

Pitman goodness goodwill biddable cottage potato First up or downstroke of outline is halved The first up or downstroke is the one that is placed in position to match the vowel, and it continues to do so even if halved. Any downstrokes following it may end up going through the line, but that is irrelevant, only the first up or downstroke needs to be in position. Do not raise the outline up further to get other strokes off the line:

ostensible creditable inestimable Top of page

Order of reading final attachments

   

The stroke and any final hook are read together Next read the T or D sound Next read Circle S "Dot -ing" is last of all

pan pant pants dancing renting rantings Loops after halving occur in only a few words:

midst amidst bidst didst For comparison, note that if the S or ST comes before the T or D, the formation is entirely different:

pots but post/posed posted

boats boating but boast boasted boasting

meets meetings midst but mist misted misting This order of reading always applies within outlines, but in some phrases it is overridden because of their great usefulness. Note that the hook is being used to indicate another complete word, not a sound within a word:

part of, sort of, in spite of, instead of, state of Top of page

When not to use (a) Final Vowel When a final vowel follows the T or D sound, a full stroke T or D is necessary in order to place the vowel sign, thus indicating the existence of a final vowel without actually writing it:

pit pity bud buddy tat tatty dad daddy

chat chatty Jude Judy kit kitty good goody fat fatty

avid video meat meaty mid media knot knotty need needy

lot Lottie late latte wit witty hat Hattie The presence of the full Tee or Dee stroke at the end of an outline does not always mean that a vowel follows, because the monosyllable rule above sometimes requires a full stroke for other reasons. In such cases inserting the last vowel should be considered, and always inserted in names:

pad Paddy bat batty Ted Teddy dot dotty

jet jetty cad caddy get Getty fad faddy

Fred Freddy shade shady lad laddie

red ready wood woody head heady

(b) Allowing full vocalisation Halving is not used where this would prevent the full vocalisation of the outline. This generally occurs where a medial T or D sound is followed by a Circle S, which itself cannot be vocalised, thus requiring a stroke against which to write the vowel that comes after the T (underlined):

anticipate antiseptic reticent criticism

absolutism conservatism egotism participle catastrophe Most outlines are constructed to enable full vocalisation, and abbreviation methods generally take a lower priority. The lack of somewhere to put a vowel sign would imply that there is no vowel to place, thus reducing legibility. Exceptions are made on an individual basis to gain a more facile outline, so long as it remains readable (unwritable vowels underlined):

despotism protestation pragmatism patriotism favouritism scepticism rheumatism (c) ing strokes of differing lengths Strokes of differing lengths must show a clear angle of . If no clear angle can be made, halving is avoided and other methods must be used: Use full strokes:

popped propped propound bobbed bribed blabbed churched judged

cooked cracked fact liked select conflict

milked thicket gagged aggregate segregate navigate

quaked squeaked entirety* patina fatigue integer nightmare *Dictionary gives no vowel for the second "e", as it is barely spoken

rotary notary territory tonight intimate

award abhorred adhered dwarfed

obstinate platypus dominate discriminate minute animate

mashed smashed famished ambushed polished abolished Use dising. Note that it is the last stroke that is halved. In everyday shorthand the vowels are omitted and so the dised strokes can be written closer to the rest of the outline:

dated dieted attitude credited dictated agitated devastated facilitated

frustrated gravitated hesitated illustrated imitated incapacitated

necessitated maltreated situated mis-stated overstated but stated restated

precipitated rehabilitated reinstated rotated irritated stratify

traded intruded* protruded* tightened detained deadened *Examples of how the dised strokes are closer when the outlines are not vocalised, this applies to all.

aptness badness madness boldness broadness candidness multitudinous A change of thickness may provide a reasonable angle with halved curves, but not with a succession of straight strokes:

discard arrived named conferred interfered veered* mediate intermediate *This does have a change of thickness, because curved strokes are only thick in the middle.

denote badinage bleeped biped probate probed

clogged evict vacate revoked Sometimes the angle has to be made a little sharper on purpose to show up the :

assuage death-bed (compare with the smoother in sausage Thebes) Wedgwood Two half length strokes may be ed as long as there is a clear angle, otherwise use full strokes or dis:

protect altitude latitude dedicate deduct indicate integrate

aptitude platitude meditate medicate intent intend estimate

Compare chit-chat catgut bedpost litigant The sounds of -NT -ND would normally be achieved by adding N hook and halving the preceding stroke, but in the following words that would not produce any angle of . There is no choice but to use a halved stroke En, and its use does not therefore always indicate a vowel between the N and the T or D:

Medial hook to produce a : definite defend toughened tenant pennant

Medial hook for better : prevent profound convenient

Other halved strokes: likened quickened thickened vacant inherent

For two lots of medial nt/nd, halve both: ant redundant abundant dependant Top of page

(d) Shun Hooks & Circle Ses With the large Shun Hook, the stroke is halved as normal, but after the small Shun Hook and Circle Ses, use stroke D:

actioned fashioned positioned requisitioned exercised emphasized (e) Derivatives generally retain their original form, which increases legibility:

paid unpaid repaid but rapid, played replayed but replied replete rippled

decked bedecked but abdicate induct

pitiful decode encode undivided undefeated rowboat overrate overcrowd

outspread rightness haughtiness weightiness greediness flightiness

Exceptions for brevity: beautify beautiful undefiled indebted subdivide Top of page

(f) A final syllable that is accented or has a very clearly pronounced vowel may use full stroke T or D:

part parade, bricked bracket brocade, blocked blockade, decked docket decade

arced arcade orchid, rabbit rebut rebate, stooped stupid, hotly hotel

flannelled flannelette, leathered leatherette, casket cascade, knocked naked

ioned ionate, kitchen kitchenette, need Enid, sinned Synod

Exception: bicycle bicyclette*

*= Dictionary, but stroke Tee would give a more

reliable distinction

(g) After triphones the full stroke T or D is used. The past tense is shown also with each example:

accentuate/d, infatuate/d insinuate/d perpetuate/d

fluctuate/d punctuate/d situate/d graduate/d

statuette diadem avowedly quiet diet suet Normally halvaing for past tenses occurs on the last stroke, but outlines like "accentuate" have pushed the halving back onto the stroke before, in order to have a full stroke T to accompany the triphone. This also allows derivatives to match. Compare with:

accent accented unfit unfitted (h) Diphones Halving proceeds as normal after most diphones:

abbreviate obviate appreciate appropriate create delineate humiliate infuriate

luxuriate permeate nauseate negotiate radiate repudiate fluid superfluous* *Dictionary has diphthong "U" for the first vowel, but that pronunciation has become less common

expiate but poet poetic, conciliate but silhouette Top of page

An R sound following a T or D may require the use of an R Hook on a stroke Tee or Dee, thus making unnecessary any halving of the preceding stroke:

patron retrograde hydrogen hydraulic Names sometimes use full strokes in preference to using abbreviating devices. This improves legibility, although the outlines may be slightly slower to write. This is especially important as context cannot help. Vocalisation is often easier, and avoids ambiguities, such as whether a halving means T or D, or a hook means F or V:

Margate Margaret Highgate McLeod Rutland Bedale

Pendennis Dudley Thetford Shetland QUICK REFERENCE TABLE DOUBLED -ter STROKE

-der

-THer (voiced)

-er

-ker -ger

-

-

Straight







With attachments

With attachments

With attachments

Curved







-

-

Ing

-

-

-

Use stroke Ar



Imp/Imb SEE THEORY

Use stroke TR, or omit light P & use M

 Only if has N hook -



-

16 doubled IMP/IMB PAGE FOR FULL DETAILS Ell







Alone

With attachments

With attachments

-

-

Position and vocalisation The vowel added by the doubling syllable is never shown in the outline, and indeed cannot be shown as there is nowhere to write it. As its vowel is slurred, this is not a problem. Doubling is not used when the vowel is an accented one, full strokes are used, to enable the outline to be vocalised. Doubled strokes are not quite so straightforward as normal length strokes to place in position: Downstrokes all go through the line, as their angle is steep and crossing the line cannot be avoided. It is possible to start first position outlines higher up, but this does not really make a lot of difference and should not be relied upon. Occasional extra vocalisation would be a wise precaution. Upstrokes are written at a shallower angle, taking up less vertical space, and they can therefore have the normal three positions. This is easier to achieve because the lowest part of the stroke is at the beginning – there is slightly more control over the beginning part of any stroke or outline than at the end. Horizontal strokes are positioned as normal, i.e. above the line for first position, and on the line for second and third positions. Where the doubled stroke is not the one that is being put in position (i.e. it is not the first up or down stroke, or the only stroke), it is immaterial where it ends up being written. Top of page

Straight Strokes A doubled plain straight stroke looks identical to two of the same stroke in succession (see below), and so doubling is only used when there are other

attachments to help with the legibility of the outline. A final circle S can also be added to any of the outlines and is spoken last of all: (a) Initial Circle S:

spotter spotters sceptre spider speeder spreader splitter splutter

sector scatter squatter straighter strutter Note: seater sitter (b) Final hook:

ponder pander punter pointer printer sprinter splinter planter supplanter plunder

spender splendour banter binder bender brander blender blunter/blunder

taunter tinter/tinder drifter dander chanter chunter gender

canter/candour counter kinder crofter

gander grounder grunter grinder grafter squander

renter/render surrender rounder rafter winder wonder

winter wafter yonder hunter hounder Top of page

(c) Final ed diphthong:

powder/pouter prouder pewter computer touter tutor/Tudor doubter* chowder *Same thickness stroke the whole length – do not be tempted to do part thick and part thin, as in "Ted" and "debt".

The plurals use a hooked stroke, as the diphthong is no longer ed:

powders pouters computers tutors Tudors doubters chowders

Note: commuter stout stouter (d) Preceding stroke(s):

adapter adopter captor helicopter repeater

inhibitor inhabiter cohabiter incubator participator liberator exhibitor

chapter Jupiter participator exploder institutor* astuter Note: astute *the first T is omitted in this outline = ins(t)itutor

contributor* distributor* imitator dictator agitator creditor bystander refrigerator *Because these have more than one stroke, they can remain doubled in the plural even though they no longer have an attached diphthong. Top of page

rector director recruiter tractor stricter instructor

propagator instigator allocator alligator electoral

ejector projector objector banqueter

nectar indicator protector protractor

extractor adjudicator absconder speculator

incinerator twitter outwitter

embroider illustrator bequeather persuader dissuader

curator operator respirator macerator accelerator Top of page

Curved Strokes Curved strokes are doubled for all the sounds. Unlike straight strokes, no restriction is necessary because a double curved stroke does not resemble two of the same stroke in succession. No thickening is needed for the D sound, as that is represented as part of the doubling:

fatter father fetter/feather fitter feeder fighter after afternoon

flatter flitter fritter frankfurter softer sifter swifter

fender offender finder founder flounder Flanders

laughter lifter lavender shifter

voter aviator avoider invader inventor provider Note: provide

renovator excavator rotavator* elevator abbreviator *Exaggerate the ing angle slightly – the change of thickness helps to show the .

theatre thunder thither aster Esther Easter oyster sister Note: eastern

asunder shutter shatter shooter peashooter sharpshooter* *After the two downstrokes, Ish written upwards for lineality

negotiator initiator matter mitre/mither meter/metre/meeter

motor mutter/mother smother smoother but Smithers* smithereens *Names need to be clearer, as context cannot help, so separate strokes are more helpful.

reminder remainder permitter transmitter* barometer *N omitted from "trans" (see Theory 18 Prefixes/Trans page) Top of page

centimetre diameter pedometer, kilometre* thermometer *accent on first syllable (KIL-a-meeter); if accent on 2nd syllable (ki-LOM-mitter), there would be a first place dash after Ell and a light dot at end.

natter another netter/nether enter/ender neater/needer/neither

neither/nitre knitter neuter stentor

sander sender/centre/center/scenter senator cinder saunter Alexander

detonator alienator presenter dissenter

janitor originator progenitor preventer covenanter

northerly generator order ardour border boarder

barter charter harder hoarder sorter deserter disorder

porter er transporter reporter importer exporter

smarter starter warder Note: smart start ward reward rewarder "inter-" always uses doubled En and takes the short i vowel:

interrupter interceptor international interval interview

interfere intermittent intermission interjection interest (contraction) "intro-" only uses doubled En when convenient to , and the doubled stroke takes no initial vowel:

introduce introduction (contraction), introjection intromission Top of page

Ell A plain Ell when alone is doubled only for -ter, and the form retained in derivatives:

latter latterly loiter loitering lighter lighterman

letter letterpress letterbox later

litre looter alter/altar litter litterbug

But ladder leader alder alderman elder elderly

But lather leather loather Lowther Top of page

If the Ell has attachments or preceding strokes, it can be doubled for all the sounds:

slotter slighter/slider slaughter slater slitter/slither slather

salter/psalter/solder swelter halter holder

welter/welder Walter wilder wilderness

lender slender slander cylinder calendar

isolator Icelander islander Highlander* Hollander *Full-length Hay, not tick H, because it is a derivative of "high"

polluter boulder builder bewilder

falter defaulter folder filter

kilter quilter collator colluder legislator

accumulator simulator smoulder smelter annihilator

beholder householder shareholder stakeholder The doubled Ell is normally written upwards; it is only written downwards for ease of ing i.e. after N NS NG to maintain the direction of the curves, and after SK. As there is never a vowel after it, it never changes direction to indicate a following vowel, as the normal length Ell can sometimes do:

penholder ventilator newsletter insulator insulter moneylender

ringleader scolder helter-skelter, in this letter

Note: alternative alteration alternator

literal littoral lateral collateral poulterer Top of page

Ing Doubling Ing adds -ker -ger

The doubled stroke is exactly the same sound as the normal length hooked form, but is only used where the hooked form does not easily or if it is the only stroke in the outline. There are thus two versions for the same sound:

anger/anchor anchorage inker sinker stinker shrinker

rancour/ranker winker longer linger hanker Use hooked form for better ; use hooked form where both would be convenient i.e. after Kay Gay:

pinker banker/Bangor bunker blinker tinker tanker

stronger drunker conker/conquer/conger finger thinker Top of page

ING-ER: to add just -er to Ing, use stroke Ar (there are far fewer of these, which is why doubling Ing adds -ker/-ger and not -er):

singer ringer/wringer banger hanger longer (one who longs) Doubling + suffix Any suffixes are spoken after the doubling sound:

ponders pondering meanders meanderings mutterings wanderings

Compare: punters punster

Top of page

Two straight strokes A doubled straight stroke is the same shape as two of the same stroke in succession. As the latter are less common, always vocalise them.

ponder pippin banter baboon bobbin

dander deaden condor cocoon

yonder yarn hunter heron render re-run

marauder mirror writer/rather (short form) rare Note: rarer error Note: writer/rather is an exceptional use of doubling. As it is a short form, it is never vocalised, and it sits on the line. Top of page

In Phrases Doubling can be used in phrases for "there their other dear". Generally all short forms consisting of a full stroke can be doubled to add these words. In

normal outlines, this use of the doubling principle should be more cautiously applied and is safest when restricted to the most common phrases:

we have been there, I think there is, I am sure there is, making their way

some other way, my dear sirs, in other words but any other, no* other *In phrases, always insert the vowel in "no" and leave "any" unvocalised

in order, in order that Note also the contracted phrase: in order to

Pairs: further farther, if their/there, for their/there

typewriter (the outline breaks the syllable unnaturally, but convenience is greater) therefore (this is a unique use of doubling) interrogator Top of page

When not to use No attachments: If a straight stroke has none of the required attachments, then a hooked stroke must be used for the sounds:

potter potters pottering padder batter bather bother tatter tether dither

chatter Cheddar jotter jitter judder cater cotter cuter

gutter gather quitter rotter reader water wetter hotter The presence of an initial hook on a straight stroke is insufficient on its own to allow doubling:

plotter pleader broader breather blather trotter trader

whetter quitter Crowther crater greeter grater (Note: great greater short forms) Some outlines/syllables that are not doubled can do so if they form the end of a longer word, i.e. they are preceded by other strokes, which helps with legibility:

Peter repeater butter rebutter bitter arbiter

biter backbiter cutter hedgecutter stonecutter

daughter granddaughter brother stepbrother

leather washleather cheater windcheater gather ingather

sunbather is clearer with separate strokes; no doubling for chatterbox because the doubled stroke would not be preceded by other strokes. The initial circle at the beginning of Hay does not count as an attachment as it is an integral part of the stroke:

hatter heater hooter header heather Top of page

Unvoiced -ther: never uses doubling:

anther panther Luther Arthur Merthyr* *One of the few outlines that does not have any writable vowel marks, as they are incorporated into the -ER syllable of the hooks

Unequal length with no clear : Strokes of unequal length must have a clear angle of , otherwise use hooked strokes or dis:

factor lector navigator monitor intermittent

interim larder shelter shoulder shielder Top of page

Accented syllable: Do not use when the syllable has an accented vowel – the full strokes are needed in order to have somewhere to write the vowel sign:

enter/ender entire inter endure aster austere matter mature

neither/nitre nitric commander commandeer colander volunteer

latterly laterally litter liturgy fritter fraternal

promoter premature natural internal inventor vendor

Top of page

Exceptions

natural central eccentric interpret tartaric

cylindrical (to match cylinder) cylindriform Top of page

Triphones: do not use when preceded by a triphone that has long last vowel – seeing the full separate strokes let you know that there are three vowels involved (this principle is also used in halving and with Shun Hook, for the same reason):

extenuator punctuator insinuator compare proprietor* appropriator* *vocalise both, due to similarity

If the third vowel is short as in "proprietor" doubling can be used – as the last vowel of such a triphone is slurred or hardly sounded, there are in effect only two main vowels. Top of page

Final vowel: Do not use when a final vowel follows – full strokes are needed to provide somewhere to write the vowel, and in some cases lets you know the vowel is there, even if it is not being written in:

boundary pantry carpentry country secondary quandary

wintry inventory infantry watery entry sentry

pleasantry sundry pageantry gentry paltry poultry Protheroe

psaltery flattery directory feathery angry hungry Top of page

Past tenses: for -erd endings, mostly found in past tenses, use halving:

pondered plundered splintered tendered cantered slandered

spattered spluttered powdered tutored lettered littered faltered filtered

flattered frittered sweltered soldered smouldered bewildered

scattered shattered shuttered mattered motored metered

nattered neutered entered centred/centered sauntered engendered thundered

chartered ordered bordered disordered

rendered raftered wandered wondered wintered hindered foundered floundered*

*"floundered" is difficult to write neatly when vocalised with the diphthong, due to congestion of the marks, therefore keep the diphthong sign very small.

mothered smothered fathered feathered slithered

anchored/angered tankard tinkered drunkard conquered fingered hankered hungered Top of page

Suffix -ture: Generally not used for -ture:

culture lecture literature capture denture tincture

puncture miniature furniture (to match furnish) Top of page

Exceptions:

picture structure infrastructure conjecture rupture debenture

nature signature nurture adventure venture

future feature material immaterial* armature *Stroke Em repeated for a negative, this will be covered in a future Prefixes/Suffixes page

Some pairs of -tor/-ture words need distinguishing:

captor capture raptor rapture creator creature

sculptor sculpture stricter stricture horticultor horticulture No R sound: If there is no R sound in the syllable, doubling is not appropriate. An R sound is always represented in Pitman's Shorthand, despite the fact that many variations of English do not pronounce it clearly or at all.

Hilda Kilda Florida Inga The sound of H can be represented in several ways, the choice being influenced by which makes the best and therefore most legible outline:

 Upward Hay, used by the majority of outlines.  Downward Hay is used when alone and before simple Kay Gay.  Initial Downward Hay is shortened to a tick before Em Imp Ell Ar Rer    

Ard. Dot Hay – a dot written next to the following vowel, used when the other methods are not convenient or possible. In compound words and derivatives, the form that s best is generally used. Only used to represent the sound. A silent longhand H is not represented in shorthand. As many examples as possible have been given, so that you can base new outlines on existing known ones.

Quick Reminders Upward Hay – Large Medial Circle Downward Hay Tick Hay – Tick versus full Downward Hay – Tick Hay in Phrases Dot Hay – Dot Hay in compound words Prefixes Short forms with H sound Derivatives Hay compared with similar circles and strokes When not to use QUICK REMINDERS – one of each usage:

UP: head hammer hacker heckle hurry hose

hen half hat hunt behave racehorse

DOWN: high highly hook hug ahem Bahamas

TICK: hem hump hear hearer hole, for whom

DOT: uphill loophole exhume Top of page

Upward Hay Upward Hay is the most used form – it is preferable as it is a forward moving stroke:

happy hop hype hope hip heap

hoop/whoop hypothesis hypothetical hypocrisy

hob hobby hautboy hub habit

hod head heading heaster headstrong

headway ahead heed hood haddock hide/Hyde

hidden Howden Hudson Hattie haughty hotel* *pronunciation without the H sound is less common nowadays

hottest heighten hiatus hatch hedge hedgerow

huge hijack hitch hutch Hutchinson Hodges

Hannah honey honeymoon hunch hinge

hyena heinous Hendon Honduras Hindi

hang hanger hung hunger

hank honk huffy heavy havoc

hyphen haven Havana hath heath hawthorn*

*although "haw" uses downward Hay, this derivative needs upward Hay to produce an angle at the

hithe/hythe heathen hussy* hazy hash hush *2 pronunciations -ss- and -zz-

Hiawatha haywire Hawaii Hawaiian Top of page

Ray following:

Harry Harrow hurry hairy hero

harass Harris Harrison horizon horizontal

heron Huron heresy heretic

Harriet hardy* horrid hurried heredity * "hearty" and "hardy" are distinguishing outlines; hardy follows the rule, hearty does not.

hoarded herded compare hoard herd

heroic haricot hurricane Harrogate

horrify horrible herring hearth

Harold hurdle heroine harrier hairier Top of page

Hook following:

hoper hopper hypertension hibernate

Hibernian haberdashery Hebrew hubris

hotter hider header heater hooter

hydrogen hydraulic hydro-electric* hydration hatcher hedger * "electric" is a contraction. Take care that "hydraulic" and "hydro-electric" are not read for each other.

hacker hawker hiker hugger haggard

heifer hover heaver hoover heather hither

hammer hummer humour* hamper hampered hankered hunkered/hungered *the pronunciation "yumour" is less common nowadays

L Hook following:

haply hobble Hubble huddle hackle heckle

huckleberry haggle haggler hovel Halved:

hat hats hatbox hat-trick hot hotly hotspot hotbed

height hut hate hateful heat heating heatwave heatstroke Doubled:

hunter hinder (=further back) hinder (=obstruct) hounder hinterland Top of page

Final attachments:

hen hens/hence hewn hone Henry Henley

hint hints hindered* hindrance hound hundred hunt huntress *typo corrected 12Apr2014 to "hindered" (this had been shown as "hind")

half halved/haft hafts hive huff Hove

hoof hoof's/hooves haste host hast

hoist heist Hester hustings Hastings Haitian Circle S following:

hawse haze/hays hose/hoes huss hues/hews/Hughes hiss hisses

hissing house/Howe's housing housewife husband housebound

hasp hyssop hospice hospital Hispanic

hesitate hesitation hostel hostile hostility

history historical hysterical hazard hazardous

hawser husk hassock Hoskins

hyacinth haziness hustle hazel Top of page

Medially (see below for how to form the Hay circle going back on itself):

behalf behave behaved behaviour behoove beehive

behind behest behead boyhood babyhood

cubby-hole uphold behold withhold

foothold high-heeled upheaval haphazard biohazard

pea-hen abhor prohibit rehabilitation

Tahiti prehistoric antihistamine top-heavy

adhere adhesive dehydrate rehydrate rehang

overhang overhaul overhear overheard overhunt

unheeding unhesitating unhesitatingly* unhindered unholy *Outlines like this look unwritable with all the vowel signs inserted, but are easy to write unhesitatingly when unvocalised!

unhinge unhitch unhampered unhygienic

enhance enhearten unhurried downhearted

foolhardy Fieldhouse field-hospital playhouse brewhouse

outhouse gatehouse Woodhouse hothouse

clubhouse guest-house warehouse weigh-house

poorhouse* Whitehouse rehouse rehash rehearsal * "poorhouse" and "beerhouse" are distinguishing outlines; poorhouse follows the rule, beerhouse does not.

bloodhound wolfhound deadhead hot-head bareheaded

overhead overheat deadheat reheat preheat superheated Finally:

Idaho Jehu Yahoo Large Medial Circle A Circle S can be enlarged so that it includes a following Hay circle, but this large circle must be written so that the result still resembles upward Hay, i.e. mostly written going back on itself (see below for formation of this circle). Only a few words use this:

racehorse clothes-horse post-haste dust-heap doss-house

Fitzhugh Fitzherbert Fitzhenry Top of page

Downward Hay

Use when the H sound is the only consonant in the word:

high/hie haw/haugh* hay/hey Hoo Hoey Hoy Howe/how** *haugh = water-meadow

**"how" noun, meaning a low hill

hew/hue/Hugh ha ho/hoe aha oho ahoy Ohio Retain in derivatives where a syllable is added (see also Derivatives below for -s, -n and -ed):

hayloft haymaker haymow hayrick haystack

hewer hewing rough-hew rough-hewing hoer hoeing hieing heyday boohoo

higher highest highly highness high-class high-born

Highbury highflyer high-priest highroad highway

high-seas, hey presto, high-pressure*

*optional contraction

Use before simple Kay Gay:

hack hackney hike hake hook hoax

huckster Hawkins hexagon hexagonal Huxley

hector hick hiccup huckaback hectic hectare

hag haggis hug Haig/Hague Higgins Highgate Hugo Top of page

Medially and finally: use when upstroke not convenient – sometimes the choice is made because of the with the following stroke, rather than the preceding stroke e.g. "Abraham". Note that the downward Hay can only take a final Circle S when it is attached to another stroke, because only then is it obvious it is a Hay and not some other stroke. The circle part of the Hay is written anticlockwise (diagram below):

cohabit mayhap mayhem Limehouse Abraham

behemoth anhydrous annihilate nihilism inhuman

all-hail All-Hallows billhook Lahore lahar

ad hoc* hulahoop lighthouse alehouse Brighouse farmhouse *this is the only instance of a Downward Hay following stroke D – "hoc" is a separate word and this outline is really behaving like a mini-phrase.

wheelhouse summerhouse maharajah Sahara Mohican Mohawk

mahogany music-hall tomahawk mohair Leghorn

cowherd cohere cohesive incoherent Gehenna

Final: aloha tally-ho Mayhew Omaha mahout

cowhide cahoot cahoots anyhow know-how/no-how* sky-high *Always insert the vowel, to distinguish it from "anyhow"

Shanghai shanghaied haw-haw heigh-ho Soho Sheehy Before Ray: Upward Hay is generally used before Ray, but a few words produce better outlines with downward Hay. The first four are taking advantage of halving the Ray, and the last two are avoiding 3 straight strokes in succession which would be illegible:

hortative heritage heritable horticulture heritor hierarchy Top of page

Tick Hay Downward Hay is reduced to a tick (i.e. just the lower third of the stroke):

 Before simple Em Imp, upward Ell, Ar Rer Ard – MNEMONIC: HoMeLieR

 Used only initially, never medially or finally.  The tick is treated as an initial attachment, like Circle S. It therefore does not count as the first stroke when placing the outline in position and is not used if a vowel precedes it.

Em: ham hammock hamster hamstring homage hominy

haulm home hem hemmed hymn humble Humphrey

hemisphere haemoglobin hemorrhage haematite homicide

Himalaya whom humid humidity humidify

humility humanity human* humane* humus/humous hummus** *these two are positioned according to the second vowel, in order to provide distinguishing outlines. **humus=soil, humous=pertaining to vegetable mould, hummus=chickpea spread

Emp: hemp hempen hempseed Hampshire Hampton humbug

Ell: hall/haul hollow holly hallow halo hello Hayley

hauled holiday hold/holed Hilda haulage Holocaust

Halifax health Helen helm helmet helium

help hole/whole holey/holy wholly wholesale wholesome holster

hull hulk hill hillock hillside hallelujah

halt halter holder hilt Hilton Hilary hilarious

heel/heal heliograph howl howler hailstone

Ar, Ard: here/hear heard hearer hearsay hereby hire hired hireling

hair/hare hairpin harebell harp harpoon herb* Herbert harbour *pronunciation without the H sound is less common nowadays

hurt heart/hart hearty* hard hardly harden hark hearken Harcourt * "hearty" and "hardy" are distinguishing outlines; hardy follows the rule, hearty does not.

Harvey harvest harvester hurl hurled harsh

harm harem harmony Herman harness

horse horseback horseman horse-power horseshoe hoarse

her hers/hearse Hurst horn Horner horror horror horary* Harare** * "horary" avoids upward Hay+Ray+Ray which would make an unacceptable outline of 3 continuous strokes in the same direction. ** "Harare" not in dictionary, could also be written like "horary". The form offered here, using two of stroke Ray, accords with the accented vowels that follow them – take your choice. Top of page

Tick versus full Downward Hay If the H sound has an initial vowel before, or triphone after, use the full stroke. This is the only time that the stroke Hay indicates the presence of a vowel or triphone. (This rule is the same as that for the use of Circle S versus stroke Ess, and Hook En versus stroke En):

hem ahem, hull ahull

hare O'Hare, horse ahorse

ham Higham/Hyam hiemation, howl Howell hyaline

heard Howard, hoot Hewitt Howitt Howitzer Tick Hay in phrases Tick Hay may occur medially in a phrase. Vocalisation should be considered, as in a phrase it is identical to Tick The. You cannot used both ticks together in a phrase:

for whom, in her compare in the air Note the exact placement of first place vowels in regard to the tick – the vowel sign is placed at the extreme end of the stroke, necessary so that the vowel sign is not mistaken for a second place vowel. This does not mean that the vowel is spoken before the H – if there were a vowel before the H, you would be using a full downward Hay stroke to place it against. Note also that the tick does not count as the first up or downstroke:

ham haulm hem homestead hemstitch

Top of page

Dot Hay Use Dot Hay when the other forms cannot conveniently be written. It is only used if the resultant outline remains legible when unvocalised.

 Mostly used in compound words, where the original form of Hay would make an awkward .

 Never used initially or finally.  The dot is always placed close against the vowel that comes after the

 

H sound, and both signs are placed against the following stroke, regardless of whether the vowel is a first, second or third place one (as the H is medial, this is similar to the behaviour of vowels after a medial Circle S or medial hook). The sign for a vowel that is sounded immediately before the H sound also remains with its own stroke, whether first second or third place vowel, because it cannot "jump" over the H, e.g. "apprehend" below The dot is always written against a vowel sign. If you omit the vowel sign, then also omit the Dot Hay. Dot Hay on its own is meaningless, but a vowel sign on its own is preferable, when hard-pressed, if you feel the outline needs it for clarity.

Note the exact placement of the Dot Hay:

 Over a dot vowel, so they occupy the same position against the stroke,

 

i.e. a line drawn between them would resemble a dash vowel. The Dot Hay is the outer one of the two. The two dots are not side by side in relation to the stroke. Immediately before and beside a dash vowel, which will vary according to the direction of the stroke. To the left side of a diphthong.

Blackheath loophole pinhole manorhouse This can look similar to two vowel signs written together e.g. genii nuclei tracheae* but as Dot Hay is never used finally and is never placed immediately after a stroke, this does not present a problem.

*see outlines on Vowels page

apprehend apprehension reprehend philharmonic

unwholesome unhappy unhealthy unharness unheard unhurt

alcohol perhaps mishap vehicle* dehumanise** *choice of pronunciations **always insert the U diphthong, so it does not clash with "demonise", although if you wanted a non-dictionary distinguishing outline, using downward Hay would make sense (as in "ad hoc")

upholster grasshopper diehard firehose exhale exhume Top of page

Dot Hay in compound words Some outlines that use stroke Hay will change to Dot Hay when they are part of a compound word, either because stroke Hay is inconvenient or impossible to , or to obtain a briefer outline. The list is not exhaustive:

hall – townhall guildhall Whitehall Vauxhall

handed – lefthanded right-handed high-handed open-handed short-handed

head – letterhead Godhead figurehead loggerhead Whitehead

bulkhead blockhead axehead hogshead pinhead drumhead

hearted – faint-hearted kind-hearted warm-hearted hard-hearted lighthearted

hill – uphill downhill foothill Redhill Cornhill

hog – hedgehog roadhog groundhog warthog

hold – household freehold stronghold

leasehold leaseholder shareholder penholder

hole – porthole air-hole armhole bolt-hole coal-hole

manhole pothole pigeonhole sinkhole

hood – neighbourhood knighthood falsehood likelihood livelihood

manhood womanhood adulthood childhood girlhood maidenhood

widowhood brotherhood* priesthood* *optional contractions

horse – hobbyhorse rocking-horse coach-horse

hook – fishhook boathook pruning-hook sheep-hook

horn – greenhorn longhorn Langhorne hartshorn

hound – greyhound foxhound staghound

hawk – sparrow-hawk goshawk night-hawk news-hawk

house – alms-house boarding-house boiler-house beerhouse* * "poorhouse" and "beerhouse" are distinguishing outlines; poorhouse follows the rule, beerhouse does not

clearing-house counting-house dwelling-house eating-house

glasshouse greenhouse henhouse penthouse townhouse

ice-house oast-house storehouse wash-house long-house meeting-house Top of page

Prefixes Initial in- , when not a negative, is shown by a small "-in" hook to upward Hay only.(This hook is only used for inh- instr- inskr-) The hook does not need vocalising, as the vowel is included in the meaning of the hook. The stroke Hay still goes through the line because the first sounded vowel is a third place one, despite it not being represented by a dot:

inhale inhaled inhalant inhabit inhibition

inherent inherit inheritance Negatives in- and un- use stroke N, which makes a much more reliable outline, considering that the meanings are opposites:

inhospitable inhuman inharmonious unhelpful

uninhabited* uninhabitable* disinherit as the "in-" hook cannot be used medially. These two outlines have been corrected 14 April 2014

hetero- Most use halved downward Hay:

heterodox heterogeneous heteronym heterocarpous These three use upward Hay for better before Gay Em Ell:

heterogamous heteromorphous heterology Top of page

Short forms with H sound:

had which have however him himself hand

has his when what who how why, for he can ( "he" in phrases only) Top of page

Derivatives Some words that use downward Hay on its own, use upward Hay to accommodate attachments and to form single-syllable derivatives:

hoe hoes/hose hoed, hie hies/highs hied/hide

hew hews hewed hewn Derivatives need to keep their full stroke:

highly but holly, Highland but Holland

hoe hoer (one who hoes) but hoar, higher but hire Where the rules call for a downward Ell (see Theory 14 L Forms page), Tick Hay cannot be used:

hallucination halcyon compare haloes Top of page

Hay compared with similar circles and strokes Writing the Circle Stroke Hay must never be allowed to resemble S-CH or S-Ray, so medially and finally it is sometimes necessary to write the circle going back upon itself. The use of such an abrupt change of direction is always kept to an absolute minimum in the rules of Pitman's Shorthand. Whichever method is used to write the Hay, the final shape is always the same, i.e. the circle never changes sides:

Compare the following:

Bohemia beseech, adhere deserve, unheated inserted

Omaha mischief, coffee-house officer Similarity to other strokes:

hay rays/race, series ways yes, hat hit chats chits, hunt child's Confusion as to which stroke is meant is only likely when there is only one stroke in the outline. An additional stroke in the outline makes it clear which direction the strokes were written:

 "hay" and "rays/race" could be confused, so keep the angle of Ray  

shallow. "series" "ways" and "yes" show why a solitary downward Hay does not take final hooks or circle. the writing direction of the half length strokes becomes clear when the vowels are inserted, but if vowels are omitted, then only the steep or shallow angle shows which stroke is meant.

See also note on Theory 10 Halving "extra care straight strokes" Top of page

When not to use Silent longhand H is not represented in Pitman's Shorthand:

heir heiress heirloom honest honestly hombre hacienda

haute cuisine, honour honourable dishonour ohm Brahms

vehemence exhibit exhort exhilarate exhaust

forehead rhetoric rhyme rhubarb threshold* *this word is sometimes pronounced with a separate additional H sound, a possibly false etymology from "hold", but the dictionary outline reflects the normal pronunciation

Hannah Hugh high bah WH: the H sound is included in the Whay and Whel strokes, therefore does not need to be indicated separately.

where while The sound of W is represented in two main ways. The outline uses whichever method produces the easiest outline to write and read, and in some cases to indicate the presence of a preceding vowel:

 Stroke Way  Small semicircle: (a) Initially, right semicircle, attached before simple Kay Gay, Em Imp/Imb Ar Ard Rer Ray

  

(b) Medially, left or right semicircle, unattached and written to replace the sign of the vowel that immediately follows it. Also part of strokes Hway Wel Hwel Kway Gway Also part of Circle Sway, dealt with on page Theory 4 Circles/Sway Although the W sound is a long vowel, it does the job of a consonant when it begins a syllable.

Stroke Way Initial semicircle

Medial semicircle Strokes Hway Wel Hwel Strokes Kway Gway Initial Vowel Derivatives Phrases & compound words Distinguishing outlines for place names Short form why When not to use a W form Stroke Way This is the form most commonly used. As stroke Way has an initial hook as part of its basic form, it can take no other initial hooks or initial loops:

way we* wee weep wiper web wobble weighbridge

wide wed wooden wattle waddle watch wedge

withy woozy wash Winnie wing wife waft

wafter waffle weave woven wave waved wavy

*Short form

waver/waiver weevil ways/weighs waste/waist western Wooster/Worcester* Worcestershire* *Worcester, worsted (woollen cloth) and the endings -ward, -wart, -wort are the only outlines that do not show the longhand R (see Theory 10 Halving/ward). In the first two, the letter R is not sounded at all, the vowel is the same as that in "wool".

worsted = woollen cloth (named after the district of Worstead in Norfolk, UK) worsted = past tense of verb "to worst" to defeat/get the better of, i.e. "give someone the worst of it"

wine won/one ones/once went/wend wind winner winter winder

wit witty water bewail beware between

otherwise unwise highway railway halfway subway

twice twist twister twisted twin twine Twi

Taiwan twit tweet tweeted twitter twittered tweed

twirl twitch twill twilight twang twinge dwell

dwarf dwarfed Dwight Duane/Dwayne thwack thwaite Hawaii Stroke Way can take an initial circle as part of a compound word or in those cases where Circle Sway cannot be used (see page Theory 4 Circles/Sway):

crosswise causeway waxwing sway persuade dissuade Top of page

Initial semicircle

Sometimes called "abbreviated W". Before simple Kay Gay Em Imp/Imb Ar Ard Rer Ray, the W is represented by a small attached semicircle:

 Used because it s better than stroke Way, and is quicker to write.  It is a right semicircle = clockwise.  Changes its angle slightly when attached to Em Imp/Imb Ray i.e. the  

first part of the semicircle is always parallel to the beginning part of the stroke. Not used if the word begins with a vowel. Never omitted unless it is replaced by the medial semicircle in a compound word or phrase.

The order of reading is like a Circle S: read the W first, then the vowel, then the stroke:

oak woke soak, oxen waxen Saxon General Examples:

walk walking wok week/weak weaken weakened weekend

weakness weakly/weekly wick wicket wicked Wickham Wycombe

wax waxy wag wagged waggon Wiggins wagtail

wigwam* womb woman* women* womanly wimple *Have to use stroke Way with Em here

**More on these two below

Wimbledon Wembley Weymouth Wemyss Woomera wombat

were wear wearer wears/wares war warn wore worn

worse worst worsen work worm warm Warmington

ward/warred warder weird Wordsworth wire wired wart warty

wort wiry wary weary worry worried worrier

warp warble worship Warsaw world worldwide

worth warden warren warrant warranty Note that when the semicircle is attached to Ar, it looks as if it is on the second side of the stroke, but it is still an initial attachment and is therefore spoken first. A vowel on that side counts as coming after the Ar:

wear era arrow Final "-ward" "-wort" "-wart" are often represented by halved Way in compound words. As the R is thus omitted, this part of the outline counts as a mini-contraction, and is therefore not vocalised (see Theory 10 Halving/ward for more examples):

moonwort thwart Hayward upwards outward reward

Note: thwarted Haywood rewarded The initial semicircle is never omitted, but in the middle of a phrase or compound word it may be replaced by the medial semicircle which itself can

be omitted be omitted in fast writing (further on this in Phrases & Compound Words below):

work framework well Harwell Note: Harrell The initial semicircle may be followed by a diphthong, but use stroke Way if followed by a diphone or triphone, the point being that the latter have separately sounded vowels, forming an extra syllable, and having the full stroke Way helps to indicate this:

Wyman but Wyoming weigher wooer compare wear/ware wore Initial semicircle is only used with simple strokes, so use stroke Way if the next stroke is hooked:

wicker* wiggle waggle

*see also note in Derivatives below

Top of page

Medial semicircle When stroke Way in the middle of an outline would be impractical, impossible, or the outline would be too lengthy, a small unattached semicircle is used instead. It represents the W sound plus the following vowel sound, and replaces that vowel sign – it is written in the same place against the stroke as the vowel sign would occupy.

 Never changes its angle.

 Always thin, regardless of whether it replaces a thin or thick vowel  

sign. Never used initially or finally in an outline. May be omitted in fast writing in the same way as vowel signs are, as long as the outline remains readable and not ambiguous. If in doubt, it is safer to write it in.

W + dot vowel following = left semicircle (anti-clockwise). This is the same direction as the short forms "with" "when" which are both dot vowels. W + dash vowel following = right semicircle (clockwise). This is the same direction as the short forms "what" "would" which are both dash vowels. Mnemonic: you begin writing this one in the same direction as you write a horizontal dash vowel i.e. left to right. The medial semicircle is occasionally called the "W diphthong" in some older books, reflecting the fact that it is made up of only vowels, even though sometimes it does the job of a consonant when it begins a syllable. As it requires some thought to decide when it is safe to use the medial semicircle instead of stroke Way, it is best to practice as many examples as possible, so that no hesitation occurs during dictation, hence the lengthy (but not exhaustive) list below. The resultant outline must be unambiguous even when the semicircle is not written in. For the compound words, I have given the root word in the "compare" line. Top of page

Dot Left semicircle Vowe l THAT

earwax beeswax sealing-wax compare wax

PEN

twenty twentieth twelve twelfth farewell Oswestry

subsequent* frequent* Buenos Aires, Cromwell Bothwell compare well west *Further on these in the Kway section

IS

twig twixt twiddle dwindle goodwill hoodwink

forthwith wherewith therewith herewith bewilder bewildered

earwig periwig bigwig Pickwick Chadwick Hardwick

sandwich Ipswich Northwich well-wisher* ill-wisher* *Care needed with similar outlines

anguish* languish* extinguisher* distinguisher* extinguish/ed** distinguish/ed** *Outlines omit the hard G sound **Contractions

compare: withy will wilder wink wick wig witch wisher

Note: Norwich (pronounced "norrij") betwixt PA

memoir reservoir boudoir abattoir

mademoiselle chamois* bulwark *pronounced sham-wah = mountain antelope; also pronounced (and sometimes written) "shammy" = suede polishing cloth.

MAY

assuage hardware Venezuela WE

seaweed tweak tweezers Tuileries Oswego compare weed Top of page

Dash Right semicircle Vowe l NOT

twattle twaddle 'twas somewhat* *Note the Dot Hay against the W sign

wishy-washy churchwarden Cornwall Cornwallis

compare: wash warden wall Wallis/Wallace MUC H

framework fireworks guesswork woodwork

stonework waterworks overwork bookworm

glow-worm ringworm wireworm woodworm

canker-worm Wandsworth Butterworth airworthy* seaworthy* *Care needed with similar outlines

blameworthy someone compare work worth worthy worm GOO D

lambs-wool driftwood wormwood Eastwood compare wool wood ALL

rainwater backwater breakwater highwater seawater

soda-water rose-water seaward eastward ropewalk

sleepwalker shopwalker caterwaul compare water walker ward GO

misquote misquotation compare quote quotation Further on these in the Kway section TOO

thrice-wooed* compare wooed *the only example Top of page

In compound words the semicircle stays with its own word, which means that a first or second place vowel may end up moving forward to the next stroke. This allows the outline to reflect the words that the compound word is made from, making the outline more legible:

memoir homework i.e. me-mwar but home-work not ho-mwork Several of the TW outlines using the medial semicircle need distinguishing from similar outlines and so it would be safer to always insert the semicircle in those:

tweak tick, tweezers teasers, twenty tenth, twattle tattle Top of page

Strokes Hway Wel Hwel The longhand convention of writing the letters "Wh" for the sound of HW should be ignored when forming shorthand outlines. Shorthand instruction books describe the strokes Hway and Hwel as representing "WH" and "WHL" which is referring to longhand and not to the sounds. It is better to associate the strokes with the sounds they represent, and treat the longhand spelling as a separate matter entirely. Even though many people do not pronounce the H, you should still learn the different forms because of their usefulness in providing distinguishing outlines and because the longhand still needs to be spelled correctly regardless of popular pronunciation. Outlines should be consistent and not change to reflect people's differing pronunciation. Stroke Hway This is stroke Way with an enlarged hook to represent the sound of "HW". It is a compound consonant = no vowel may come between the H and W sounds. This is not an additional hook to give an additional sound. It is therefore best to learn the stroke as a whole without mentally taking it apart into its constituent sounds.

whey whoa whip whippet whopper whoopee

white whit Whitsun wheat whet whetted whetstone

whack Whig whiff whine whin whinny whinge

whim whimsical whimper where anywhere

nowhere elsewhere whereas wharf whirr

whirl whirled whirling whirlwind whirlpool

whorl whortleberry wherry wheedle whither whether* *Short form

whizz whizzed/whist wheeze wheezed whisk whisker whistle Top of page

Strokes Wel Hwel These are basically the upward Ell stroke with an initial hook. The hook, representing the W or HW sound, is read first:

  

Small hook = W-L Large hook = HW-L This is similar to stroke Way having its hook enlarged to include the H sound. There is always a vowel between the W/HW and the L sounds – it would be unpronounceable without a vowel. These two strokes are therefore not compound consonants. Never written downwards.

These two hooks add their sound to the Ell in the same way that Circle S adds its consonant before a stroke i.e. the W or HW is spoken first, then the vowel, then the L sound:

ail/ale wail whale sale, oldest wold sold

aisle/isle wile while silo, wilt silt, alter Walter salter/psalter

Liam William solemn, ledge Woolwich* silage General examples:

well unwell welfare Wellington will willing

*pronounced "woolij"

unwilling willow Williamson wolf Welsh wall sea-wall

wealth commonwealth welcome welcoming* welcomed welcomer *Using proximity to indicate "com" (see Theory 18 Prefixes/Con-com page)

wail weal wool woollen Wollaston Wolsey Wolseley Weller

wilt wilted Wiltshire welt welter wild wilder

Walter welled/weld wailed willed wield unwieldy

wheel wheeled wheeling Wheeler spinning-wheel millwheel narwhal

whale whalebone whelp whelk whelm while whiling

whiled whilst meanwhile worthwhile worthwhile* *Alternative contraction Wel and Hwel cannot clash with a downward Ell plus N hook or Shun hook because the latter are never written alone – they follow a stroke and so the direction they were written in is always clear:

Upwards: well while, lane lotion Downwards: aniline insulation

Note: swell swelled swelling Circle Sway described in full on page Theory 4 Circles/Sway) Top of page

Strokes Kway Gway These strokes include the W sound and are best learned as a whole stroke to represent the compound consonant. A first place vowel goes outside the hook, same as for normal size hooks:

equip quote quota equity aquatic quiet disquiet

quid liquid liquidate liquefy quash quotient

query quarry quartz quartet quarantine quandary

choir/quire acquire aquarium enquire require requisition

quarrel quarter quantity quantify queen quantum

quaff equation equate adequate equator quitter equatorial

quest question request requested bequest bequeath

antiquated inquisitive qualm equilibrium quibble quench quell

equestrian eloquent loquacious soliloquy colloquial

ventriloquist delinquent delinquent* *Alternative contraction

squeak squawk* squat squatter* squander *These two outlines are identical if unvocalised - see Theory 11 Doubling/Two Straight Strokes for further on this.

squeeze sequence consequently squabble squad squid squadron

squeegee squirt squash squeamish squalid squall sequel

square squared squired squirrel squirm

guano iguana iguanodon guava guacamole

linguist linguistic languid languorous

penguin* sanguine Gwen Gwent Gwyneth *Dictionary gives "penguin" with stroke En rather than Ing, possibly assuming that pronunciation reflected the derivation pen+gwyn (Welsh: head white, originally referring to the Great Auk), in contrast to sang+uine (Latin: sanguineus=blood-like).

Gwendoline Guinevere Guam Maguire

Paraguay Uruguay Guatemala Guadeloupe Guelph

queer* compare clear choir/quire

*Distinguishing outline, as this and "clear" are

both adjectives

There are a few words that make better outlines by using the medial semicircle for the KW sound, and with most of them it is seldom necessary to write in the semicircle:

quality qualify qualification disqualify tranquil

frequent frequently frequency frequenter infrequent

subsequent asquint* Asquith* misquotation misquote* mistake* *Advisable to insert the semicircle for unusual words, and in "misquote" so it does not look like "mistake"

Note: quite* equal* equalise equality (both using short form) equality (not using) *short forms

Do not use Kway or Gway if there is a vowel between the K/G and the W sounds:

Gawain Cawood co-worker

Exception: lukewarm

Top of page

Initial vowel If a vowel comes before the W or HW sounds, then strokes Way or Hway must be used, as you cannot write a vowel to a hook: If the word starts with a vowel, then stroke Way must be used, because you cannot write a vowel to the semicircle. Seeing stroke Way where you might expect to see the initial semicircle lets you know that there may be a vowel before it, thus improving legibility when vowels signs are omitted: omitted:

wake awake, woke awoke, wear aware

wool awol ward/warred* award* worried

*Dictionary has "ward" = thick dash and "award " = thin dash, so I have adhered to that here, although the Anniversary Edition textbook (p88) has thick dash for both, which accords with their identical pronunciation.

while awhile, wheel awheel Derivatives Derivatives (word+ending) and compound words (word+word) endeavour to retain the original form of the outline(s), although this is not always done if it would result in an awkward outline. The aim is to keep related words looking similar, and have distinctive outlines for words that may have the same consonant structure but a different spread of vowels or different derivation. This is not a top priority rule, but a useful one that increases the legibility of unvocalised shorthand and applies right across Pitman's Shorthand, not just the W forms:

way-lay way-laid but woolly wailed

walk walker/Walker wag wagger

wick wig wigger* but wicker Wicker Wigger which have different derivations** *verb "wig" means to scold

**(1) made of flexible twig/willow (related to "weak") (2) surname "inhabitant of Wick" (3) Variant of Wicker

Pondering word derivations and outline choices is out of the question during dictation, but as long as your outline reflects the sounds spoken, you will be able to transcribe correctly. Top of page

Phrases and compound words Whichever form of W is used in the basic outline, this may change to one of the other methods when the word becomes part of a phrase or compound word. The main consideration is the ease of the , producing a speedy and reliable outline, but the resultant outline must be easy to read back, even when vowels and unattached signs are omitted. It is seldom necessary to insert any of the unattached semicircles when writing phrases, but they are shown in some of the examples, so that you know where the signs belong. Stroke Way replaced by medial semicircle.

water highwater weed seaweed Initial Semicircle replaced by stroke, or medical semicircle:

worthy unworthy praiseworthy trustworthy roadworthy

walk cakewalk cat-walk, wire haywire

world, another world, week, last week, well, very well Wel and Hwel may not easily:

Full strokes: cog-wheel fly-wheel cartwheel waterwheel erstwhile

Dot Hay plus medial semicircle: freewheel horsewhip overwhelm In a few instances the initial semicircle is retained in a compound word or phrase:

sidewalk jaywalker needlewoman needlewomen, men and women

bondwoman horsewoman charwoman washerwoman compare fisherman

man woman* men women, similarly human* humane * These two count as distinguishing outlines

salesman salesmen saleswoman saleswomen Note that "woman" "women" take their position from the 2nd vowel, so that their difference is maintained when the outlines are not vocalised. They also need to have a semicircle at all times, whether attached or unattached, because in phrases or compound words they could be read as "man" "men". The phrase "men and women" is common enough to remain unvocalised, but in other phrases vowels may be necessary to show whether these words are singular or plural. The verb "will" in phrases is represented by a plain upward Ell and the semicircle is not necessary – it is always very clear what is meant and to insert it would defeat the purpose of the phrase, which is to gain speed. When "will" is used as a noun, it can take the semicircle, if felt necessary:

will, I will, he will, that you will be, if he will have but goodwill freewill "Were" in phrases takes whatever form is easiest to write. Again, the meaning is always clear because the word groupings involved are so common, and medial semicircle or vowel signs need not be written:

were, you were, they were

"Well" in phrases does take a medial semicircle, but is easily omitted without losing clarity:

well, very well, so well Rather than hesitate over semicircles during a dictation, you should use full strokes or write the two halves of the outline separately and then find out the correct outline later. Even in longhand there is often a question over whether to write something as two words, a hyphenated word or one word. Writing a longer outline or two outlines is far preferable to hesitating and losing the next few words. Making an awkward , when separate outlines would be more readable and reliable, is also a hindrance. However, ing or not ing can indicate different uses of the same two words, shown up by where the emphasis falls in the sentence (underlined). In the second of each of the sentences below, ing the outlines would be inappropriate and make the shorthand awkward to read back:

I saw the cat-walk. I saw the cat walk.

This person is trustworthy. We can trust Worthy to do the job.

We arrived last week. His last weak excuse was not accepted. Top of page

Distinguishing outlines for place names

Wells Wales* Walworth Woolworth* *the second of each pair breaking the rule

Always vocalise these two: Cornhill Cornwall Names and place names are best vocalised whenever possible, as context cannot help. Short Form Why This sign is unlike any other. Prior to the Centenary version of Pitman's Shorthand in 1913, this was the sign for the W (or HW) plus the "eye" sound, as in "wife" "Wight" "white", and also the short form "why" that we still use. It behaved like the W semicircle – sometimes ed initially to certain strokes, sometimes unattached medially. Note that "why" is a right angle (90°), unlike the other three angular diphthongs (60°):

why I toy cow When not to use the W forms SW at the beginning of a word uses the Circle Sway, see Theory 4 Circles page. Longhand often uses the letter W to indicate a long vowel. In those cases it does not come under any of the above headings, and the appropriate vowel sign is used:

awe awl awesome awful awkward dawn mow owl

power sewage Bewick/Buick Newark Rwanda Cwmbran A redundant longhand letter is never represented in Pitman's Shorthand:

wrought write/Wright/rite wry/rye awry wrass wrestle wrist

wren wreath wrap/rap wreak/reek wretch/retch

wriggle wrong wrinkle whole whoop Upwards Ell Upwards when it is the only stroke in the outline, regardless of length (halved, full or doubled) or attachments:

ale ales ill eel Ely allow

else sale seal sill silt salt slot soil silo

stall stale still stool stilt swell swill

hall hallo hill heal hilt halt halter

lie low lea/Lee loss losses lost last less lose/loose

list Lister oleaster line lines lawn lane lone lion

lot lots let late elate lute/loot lit slit slat light lights slight

lend/lent lint silent Solent lends lender lenders slender slander

launder lotion elation elision lesion illusion Silesian Alsatian Top of page

Upwards with most strokes, other than in the combinations described in the next sections:

Alp alpine lapse elapse leap lupin

Paul pale ball bill lab label elbow

tall tally tile tale towel latte lattice lettuce

lad led dale dull idle idol ideal

like lake lick slick silk sulk elastic

kale keel coal cool log leg

gallon gale gull goal guile

latch leech/leach Ilchester chill chilly itchily sketchily patchily

ledge ledger sledge sludge allege lodge village

jolly jelly gel Jill/Gill Jillian/Gillian Julian

jail jowl agile lull lily lowly Lola Leila Top of page

laugh left self life leaf elephant Olaf

love live leave alive lath loth althaea

Athol Othello thrill thrall throstle

health stealth tilth filth lathe loathe withal

lasso lassie lossy lazy laser loser

lash lush leash mile male mole mill meal

mule/mewl impel puzzle appraisal reprisal basil bristle

tussle teazel/teasel trestle docile dazzle drizzle castle Cassell

crossly crassly gristle/grizzle grizzly guzzle

chisel chastely jostle justly rustle/Russell wrestle whistle

chrysalis Chrysler useless hazel hustle

sprucely sparsely cautiously Cecil sessile isosceles

frizzle frazzle versal reversal mizzle measles

muscle/muzzle embezzle mostly muslin mucilage impiously

loosely wholesale callously keenly cleanly

kindly grandly secondly subsequently frequently blandly friendly Top of page

rational national optional occasional professional

pelt bolt tilt adult dolt searchlight torchlight jilt jolt

kilt colt exalt* exult** guilt/gilt fault felt asphalt joyous

volt revolt vault lilt assault oscillate zealot shallot

malt moult melt tumult result somersault quilt

*elevate, raise **be

polder bolder/boulder/boulter belter assaulter

Calder kilter quilter gilder/guilder guelder

folder defaulter violator revolter smelter smoulder Top of page

Reasons to use downward Ell, in order of priority:

1. To continue the direction of curve of the preceding or next stroke, or its hook or circle, i.e. keeping them all clockwise, or all anti-clockwise, called "similar motion". 2. Make a legible with the next stroke in the outline. This may necessitate ignoring the rule of similar motion. 3. With certain strokes, to differentiate between words that have an initial or final vowel and those that do not. Vowel indication only occurs in cases where both directions of Ell are equally convenient. Some of the words naturally fall into pairs e.g. full, fully. An initial downwards Ell cannot take an initial circle or loop. Note the placing of the vowel signs against the Ell: first place vowels are written at the beginning of the stroke, which with downwards Ell is at the top. In such cases it is behaving similarly to stroke Chay. 1. Continue curve An initial or final Ell is written downwards in order to continue the motion of the preceding curved stroke, or straight stroke with hook or circle: (a) After En and Ing

Nile nail null anull knoll nil kneel/Neal/Neil anneal

Noel/Nowell canal denial annual annually only unless annulus

unlace unlaced enlist presently sandal sand-eel soundly swindle

meanly manly manual Nielsen sanely senile

Stanley Stoneleigh stonily stainless tuneless somnolent consonantal

newly nightly/knightly inlet unlet insult insulate

vanilla Fenella plainly Townley suddenly certainly

wrongly strongly kingly Headingly exceedingly jokingly

seemingly surprisingly* accordingly Note: accord/according* *short forms

adoringly sparingly amazingly* amusingly* *always insert 2nd vowel in amaze/amuse -s -d -ing -ingly -ment

antlike auntlike saintlike womanlike sportsmanlike kinglike

springlike ringlike analog analyse analyst nylon aniline

clothesline mainland inland downland England * Englander inlander *contraction

natural naturally insulator insulter ventilator vacillator

candlestick inelastic inlay inlaying in-law* father-in-law *uses short form in, hence first position

"underl-" words are dised, therefore the Ell can remain upward – as these words are mostly derivatives, this allows the original word to remain unchanged, whilst avoiding the undesirable between the En stroke and upwards Ell. It also has he added advantage that the outlines are less likely to be confused with all the "in-" and "un-" words:

underlay underlaid underline underling underlying Note also: inlying* *uses short form in, hence first position Top of page

(b) N-S-L

nasal nozzle nuzzle noiseless noiselessly senseless businesslike

unseal groundsel Onslow Kingsley densely

tensile tonsil council counsel cancel consul

nicely pencil stencil utensil chancel sensual

immensely Barnsley benzol benzolene insolent Although Chay is not written after downwards Ell, Jay is allowed. This does not produce an ideal to the Ell (shallow angle, and both strokes going backwards) but does allow similar motion between the En and Ell. Presumably the thickness of Jay helps readability despite the poor (compare with "unlatch" below). Such a is avoided where possible by using Hook L, mainly the "-ology" words:

analogy mineralogy ensilage Note: silage criminology Top of page

(c) L-S-N and L-S-Ing

license licentious lesson/lessen listen lozenge

loosen looseness loosing/losing leasing Alison Lawson Lessing

Elsinore Elysian, Los Angeles, Los Alamos

adolescence convalescence opalescence coalescence

Halesowen halcyon hallucination

Top of page

(d) More instances of maintaining similar motion

elusive elusively illusive lascivious lucific

fossil facile fussily fizzle faceless voiceless nervously

fusil fusel-oil vassal vessel vaseline vacillation vastly

mischievously conversely aversely adversely Eversley everlasting

thistle Methuselah Thessalonians thusly, this letter *, this will* but they will *Because of the circle S, downward Ell is the only way to make a . Ell used in phrases for "will" is normally upwards.

Special outlines London Londoner Londonderry but generally thus: Landon Linton After small Shun Hook, follow the motion – most of them have downward Ell:

sensational positional conversational transitional compensational Top of page

(e) These not only continue the motion, but also produce compact outlines with clear sharp s

film fulminate volume voluminous vellum Velma realm

column columnar calumny Coleman calamity

coulomb calamine columbine Colombo Columbus

skulk skullcap but skulker onlooker to the Ker

helterskelter compare skelter scolder scalder – one might expect upwards Ell in the second part of "helterskelter" in order to retain the direction of the circle, but compactness is more important here.

For compactness: unwarlike mirrorlike lawyerlike

Compare warlike warily rarely relic Top of page

2. Clear with preceding or next stroke Downwards Ell does not always make a good with the following stroke, or may produce an outline with too much backward movement, so in some cases the rule of similar motion cannot be used. With some of the words beginning "-un" this has the incidental advantage of retaining the outlines they are derived from:

inlaid unlaid unled unload unladen unladylike

unlatch unlearn unlovable unleavened unleash

unlettered unlighted unlikelihood unlaboured unlabelled

unsullied insulted unsling enslave unsaleable

facile but facility fuselage fossilology footslog

Note distinguishing outlines: unsold unsoiled (unsold has the shorter outline as it is the most frequent word; outlines with diphthongs very often keep the strokes in full) Hook L is used in a few instances (even though vowels may intervene) where it produces a brief and distinctive outline that cannot clash with anything else (more such outlines on Theory 7 Hooks R L page):

analytic enliven molecule Top of page

3. Vowel indication

For initial and final Ell, and only with certain strokes, different in each case. Vowel indication never occurs medially – medial Ell is chosen only for convenience and to a lesser degree to show derivatives. (a) Initially Before simple horizontal stroke - Kay Gay Em Emp En Ing - the downward Ell (full or halved) is used to indicate an initial vowel:

elk alike alcove Alec Alexander compare like Luke

Alcock Ilkeston elixir compare Laycock Laxton Luxor

allocate election elocution alkaline compare locate location

electricity* electron electrician alchemy compare laxity leukaemia *contraction

alligator allegation elegant elegance compare legate legation legacy

elegaic Olga Elgin compare league Logan

element elementary eliminate illuminate compare lament Lomond lemonade

elm aluminium aluminum alimony compare lame lemony

Elmleigh Elmsley Ilminster compare Lumley Leominster* *pronounced "lemster" Top of page

Alhambra Olympia Olympus Olympic compare lumpy lambast lampoon

Allenson ulna Olney Illinois Iolanthe compare luna Lana

Ealing Illingworth along oolong elongate compare long Langworth

Allingham Allington compare Langham Langton

ultimate ultimatum allotment altimeter Eltham compare Feltham

alone* align* alien* Alan* Elaine* Ellen* Elena

Compare: lone lonely lanoline line Len Lennie Lena In those marked above* stroke En is used despite no following vowel, to make it obvious the Ell is written downwards. Downward Ell standing alone never takes a hook, as this would look like stroke Wel. When the Ell is attached to another stroke, it becomes obvious that it is an Ell written downwards and is not a Wel/Whel written upwards:

lone well, lotion whale, nylon* welling

*more examples above

The rule for vowel indication does not apply if there is a circle or hook coming between the Ell and the next stroke, as downward Ell there would not make a good :

Alaska Lasky Elswick Liskeard* algorithm logarithm

*pronounced "liss-kard"

logger Elgar liner ulnar Eleanor/Ellenor lissom alyssum

Exceptions: alienor Pilsener Top of page

(b) Finally After normal-length Eff Vee S-Kay Kway Ray Way Yay and upward Hay:

 Downward Ell = no final vowel  Upward Ell = final vowel

full file fail awful compare fully folly failure awfully

successful graceful false falsity compare successfully gracefully felicity

Val vale vole vowel compare volley villa viola Evelyn

level Lovell revulsion compare lovely Clovelly revolution

scale skull skill scowl scholastic compare scaly Scully Note that the SK above has no vowel between. If there is a vowel between, then the outlines are formed under the basic rules, with no need for a downward Ell:

sickle cyclist sickly sackless sicklist

quell quail quill quilling colloquial compare Aquila quelea

squall sequel Gwillim compare squally sequela Gwalia

dwell yell Howell compare waylay yellow Yolande unholy

royal roll/role real compare royally Rollo really relay

rill rule spiral compare gorilla Rula spirally

plural mural viral compare pluralist muralist virally

coral choral compare coralline choralist

enrol snarl compare snarly Note: gnarl

compulsorily satisfactorily* but 2 exceptions: sincerely necessarily where the Ell matches the direction of the circle. *Contraction Top of page

rascal fiscal compare rascally fiscally Note: physical physically

Distinguishing outlines alcohol alcoholic alkali alkaline To these, pair them with other outlines: full/alcohol fully/alkali

fall falling follow following avail available value valuing

carol carolling fuel fuelling flail flailing Varying the Ell form for vowel indication does not apply to SKR and SK-R. Normal upwards Ell is used, which also achieves similar motion:

scrawl scrawly scroll scrolly secretly The rule for final vowel indication is stretched to include these:

actual actually structural structurally

artistical artistically fantastical fantastically

statistical statistically logistical logistically egotistical egotistically These follow similar motion, but do not vary for final vowel indication:

intellectual intellectually conjectural conjecturally electoral Note: electorial When a suffix is adding another L sound to a word that already ends in L, the outline repeats the Ell, to reflect the lengthened pronunciation. This seems to happen when there is a long vowel preceding:

foully* vilely* servilely* scaleless* skill-less* soulless *The second Ell here goes upwards to prevent 3 full downstrokes, and at slightly shallower angle in order to be writable

styleless tailless guileless futilely hostilely

wholly solely dully coolly compare holy/holey dolly coolie With a short vowel, the pronunciation of the L sounds is generally unchanged, so no extra Ell is needed:

additional additionally conditional conditionally provisional provisionally Words like the following are adding the -y sound to form an adjective, and the longhand LL is merely a convention of spelling to show that a short spoken vowel precedes. Only an extra final dot is needed:

weasel weaselly tinsel tinselly

It is always helpful to insert the final vowel sign if the outline itself does not show whether there is a final vowel or not. A small number of words with halved strokes take a downward Ell to achieve similar motion with the preceding curve, hook or circle. Such words generally do not come in pairs like "full fully" and so similar motion is the only issue:

completely boldly bloodless softly swiftly exactly adequately worldly

Compare proudly broadly sprightly strictly contritely where the normal upward Ell achieves similar motion as a matter of course. Note also short form coldly.

deservedly unreservedly vividly fervidly pectoral

fatal fatally fitly foothill thoughtless thoughtlessly effortless effortlessly comfortless

Distinguishing outlines fatal futile, thoughtless thankless* *Uses short form Top of page

Although Ell halved for T is mostly written upwards, it is written downwards in these circumstances:

 After strokes En Ing, see examples above  After stroke Way if no vowel follows:

dwelt indwelt but twilight twilit (These seem to be the only examples, as most instances of w-lt use stroke Wel halved)

Keeping halved Ell mostly upwards has the additional benefit of providing distinction from stroke Ld which is always downwards. Top of page

Derivatives Some derivative outlines may change the direction of the stroke Ell. Keeping derivatives similar to the original is useful but is never done at the expense of a flowing and reliable outline:

ail ailing lose/loose losing/loosing looseness lace lacing

fallen is an exception, compare felon villain, fall-out to enable the next stroke to

lawful unlawful, lamented unlamented

link unlink, limited unlimited, licensed unlicensed

like likely unlike unlikely unlikeliness

lock unlock, lucky unlucky, located unlocated Some derivative outlines are clearer if they retain the direction of the Ell in the original outline:

ally alliance allying, allow allowing allowance

fool foolish fallacy fallacious eligible ineligible * *avoiding 3 downstrokes and an unclear between the Ell and Jay

alloy alloying oil oiling owl owling*

See more oil & owl below

*wool-smuggling, a reference to it being a night-time activity

Parts of compound words benefit from keeping their forms, enabling the components can be more easily recognised, but only if a good outline results:

ill illness ill-natured ill-omened quicklime Top of page

Negatives "unl-" words follow the rules above i.e. use downward Ell, so long as the next stroke can be ed:

unless unlike unloved "ill-" words will use downward Ell if possible, to signify an initial vowel, making it obvious it is a negative:

limited illimited also unlimited Often that is not possible, because the Ell would not make a good with the following stroke. In those cases the Ell is repeated. This means that the negative is still obvious even when no vowels are written in:

legal illegal, legitimate illegitimate, licit illicit

liberal illiberal, literate illiterate

logical illogical, liquid illiquid Some words starting ill- are not negatives, the "in" part meaning "into", or are formed from the word "ill", and so follow the normal rules for choice of Ell:

illumination illinition illustration illustrious

illude illusion illusory ill-informed* *contraction

Outlines for similar negatives such as imm- irr- inh- inn- unn- etc are dealt with in the same way (see Theory 18 Prefixes page). This section on negatives points up the necessity for shorthand writers to have a good grasp of how English words are formed and their meanings. These and similar negatives are also described on Theory 18 Prefixes page. Top of page

ed vowel signs Some initial vowel signs are ed to the stroke Ell:

isle/aisle aisled islet/eyelet oil oily oiled owl* owlet* owlish*

*3rd place vowel ed at the beginning for convenience, these are the only outlines that do this with this diphthong. This is the same liberty that is being taken when the first place "I" diphthong is ed to the end of the stroke e.g. night.

awl altar/alter alteration Allsop Alston Alcester* *pronounced "awlster"

all-clear all-fours also all-spice all-hail All-Hallows Do not confuse this with instances of the short form "all" being ed. The short form includes the L sound, so no stroke Ell is required:

almost always all-wise all-round all-rounder

almighty already although altogether all-important all-in Top of page

Downstroke Ler Downward Ell is thickened to add the unaccented sound of "-er". It is it is only used where a downward Ell would normally be used, i.e. it never replaces an upward Ell. No vowel sign is required for the unaccented vowel within it. No vowel may come after the stroke, but it can take a final circle S:

fuller feeler feelers fowler/fouler revealer reviler reveller

leveller ovular dweller bewailer roller

nailer/Naylor kneeler antler annular granular

squalor scowler secular vascular

councillor counsellor consular chancellor

chandler stenciller tonsillar inhaler peninsular * *adjective

wine-cellar to avoid an awkward , but generally thus: bookseller saltcellar In comparison, where upward Ell is used, use stroke Ar to add the "-er" sound:

tailor trailer dealer drawler jeweller bachelor

paler follower miller similar Weller

caller colour cooler healer hillier

puzzler dazzler scrawler wheeler hustler

ocular jocular lenticular muscular crepuscular* *compare corpuscular below As no vowel can come after Ler, use Ray when there is a final vowel:

valour Valerie scholar scullery railer raillery

insular insularity insularism

The vowel in stroke Ler is unaccented, so use full strokes if the vowel is accented:

failure velour/velours chevalier bandolier/bandoleer

chandelier gasolier electrolier hotelier* espalier* *accent is on 2nd syllable Stroke Ler never stands alone, as a lone Ell stroke is always upwards and will always have an accented vowel:

lore lair leer lure allure

lyre liar lower lair lower lour/lower* Loire *= to be gloomy or threatening, rhymes with flower

seller cellar styler staler stellar holier As stroke Ler is only used where a downward Ell would be written, it cannot replace a Hook L:

prevail prevailer but groveller babbler muffler tunneller

circular binocular spectacular corpuscular* *compare crepuscular above Top of page

Downstroke Ld Ell is halved and thickened to indicate the sound of Ld. The stroke Ld is always written downwards. No vowel comes between the L and D sounds, and no vowel comes after it. With the derivatives, it does not matter whether the original Ell was up or down:

ailed old old-age Oldham piled polled pulled boiled bowled Note: bold

bailed billed brawled tailed trailed toiled tolled doled dialled drilled

coiled cowled culled killed skilled scold scaled

scrolled guild/gild geld beguiled regaled

filed foiled failed fold filled field fuelled

veiled reviled revealed mild milled mulled mould/mold

nailed kneeled annealed annulled lolled lulled

riled railed rolled ruled world yelled yield

behold withhold foothold stronghold stranglehold

installed smiled squealed cancelled excelled chiselled

scaffold nestled pencilled stencilled herald

puzzled bristled tussled dazzled drizzled guzzled grizzled nuzzled

Note short forms: build/building told called cold/equalled gold child Stroke Ld can take a final circle or dot ing/dash ings:

folds fields guilds scolds moulds upholds

balding foldings fieldings gelding gilding beholding withholding When it stands alone, stroke Ld can have no attachments, therefore:

sold styled welled swelled hold oldest oldster As stroke Ld is only used to replace a stroke Ell, it cannot replace a Hook L:

prevail prevailed but grovelled babbled muffled tunnelled Where it is not convenient or even possible to write stroke Ld, full strokes must be used:

wrestled whistled frizzled frazzled

mizzled muscled/muzzled embezzled sizzled sozzled

shelled shoaled shield freehold household leasehold Top of page

Unpronounced longhand letter L Most of these have a long vowel before the L sound and a consonant immediately after:

stalk baulk/balk talk chalk caulk/calk walk

folk yolk palm balm psalm psalmist psalmody

calm qualm halm haulm calf/calve half/halve Ralph* *When pronounced "rafe"

alms almond salmon Malcolm Colquhoun Similar words with a short vowel generally have the L pronounced, and it is therefore shown in the outline:

bulk hulk polka whelk talc talcum

shelf overwhelm palmate palmetto psalmodic

golf gulf self elf Rolf Ralph* 1. When there is only one stroke in the outline: Vowel before, use Ar:

or ore air/ere/e'er/Ayre/heir err ear ire Ayers art

order sorter* sire sir sear/seer/cere sore

*see "sort" below

swear swore urn earn stern store star steer Vowel after, use Ray:

rye rise/rice Roy ray rays/raise/race row/roe rows/rose/roes roses

rouse/rows rue rues/ruse Reece/Rhys raised/raced roast rust roster

run runs rinses rowan rind rent/rend round rounder

rough/ruff rave reef raft rafter ration Russian

sorrow sorry series serious cirrus cerise sari Sarah

starry story/storey soirée serene siren surround

serif/ceriph seraph surf serve/serf conserve starve S+RT use Ray to make derivatives easier:

sort sorted concert concertina certain certainty

consort consortium serrate serrated resort Top of page

Word starts with a vowel, and a vowel comes after as well, use Ar. It is helpful to insert the 2nd vowel for these:

arrow array awry aria area airy/eyrie* era eerie

*eyrie (eagle's nest) has several

pronunciations

arise arouse erase iris errs/Erse arrest arrester

Aran/Arran Erin iron* Irene Aryan Orion *although the R sound may be slight in some speakers, having the R stroke distinguishes this from "ion"

around errand/errant orient oration aeration erosion The above only applies when there is no initial attachment, i.e. the vowel starts the word, compare arrow and sorrow above. 2. When the R is followed by another stroke: (a) Always use Ray before these strokes, to get a good , regardless of vowels:

Tee Dee: arty artist artistic aright irate erratic aerate* *the diphone for "aer-" is no longer current usage, but may be found in some older shorthand dictionaries.

arid arrayed erode eradicate erudite Urdu aerodynamics * *see above note re "aer-"

sortie sorority sardine Sardinia sordid

rot rotten rotting rotate ride red/read reading radio

write/right/rite/Wright wrote/rote but writing written are exceptional, to gain speedier outlines for these very common words. Note righting, a different verb (= to put to rights, to set upright)

ratter rider rattle riddle serried sturdy storeyed/storied

Chay Jay: arch urchin search research starch artichoke urge origin

serge surge surgeon sturgeon sargeant storage steerage

roach rich richer ratchet ridge region Roger

Ith Thee: earth earthed Erith arithmetic orthography orthopaedic

earthen swarthy wrath Rathbone wreath wreathe writhe

KL GL: oracle article articulate argol argle-bargle

circle circulate circulation reclaim wriggle raglan

Kway Gway: request requite Iroquois Uruguay*

*2 pronunciations

Way: Irwin Darwin doorway Irawadi caraway rewind Top of page

(b) Always use Ar before Em Imp/Imb to get a good , regardless of vowels:

army aroma Arum Aramaic airman ermine

Ormsby ormolu orometry armed armadillo

storm swarm surmise sermon ceremony Sturminster

ram rime/rhyme roam/Rome rum rim ream room

remote remit remain remind reminder Raymond Ryman

remove remedy remade Ramsgate Romney rheumatism

ramble rumble ramp romp rumba rhombus reimpose A circle or hook shows up the , and therefore Ray can be used before the Em for vowel indication:

rosemary resume raceme rhizome wearisome worrisome

rhenium ransom random referendum Top of page

(c) Both Ar and Ray well before the remainder of the strokes, so vowel indication is possible:

Pee Bee: eruption arpeggio Orpington orb arbour Arabella urban

rap/wrap rapid report Rupert rob Robert rub rib

rebate rebut rabbit wrapper rubber ripple replace rubble

Kay Gay: ark/arc arctic erect organ organic argon argue

Eric irksome ericaceous oryx aurochs

rock rug rocker record rigger regard

Eff Vee: orfe orphan orifice Orford arrive arrival artful

refuse raffia roughen review rougher river reflect

artifice artificial artifact (also spelled artefact) to avoid an invisible junction between a halved Ar and the Eff.

Ess Zee: heiress Orissa arioso racy racist raciest rosy/Rosie

Sh Zh: Irish sourish rash rasher rush rouge

Ell: early oral/aural aerial Ursula surly sorrel cerulean

sterile sterilisation sterling starling starlight swirl

rile rail roll/role reel real really royal result

surreal surrealism serial/cereal serialise = derivatives of real series ceres which all use Ray, compare with sorrel above

En Ing: Ernie earner sterner arena ornate aeronaut Arnold

irony arsenal runny Ronnie rennet risen Ronald

range syringe surname serenade ring rank S+R+downstroke use Ray for better s, whether or not a vowel follows the R:

syrup stirrup surplus serpent sorbet Surbiton

cerebral surface survey service starvation Top of page

Medially 1. Ray s better in most combinations. It is faster to write than Ar and, because there are more downstrokes than upstrokes in Pitman's Shorthand, using Ray keeps a large number of outlines from descending too far. The choice will often be more dependent on its with the next stroke:

party dirty tardy pardon burden parch birch torch

march larch lurch merge emerge margin

purge spurge barge dirge charge surcharge

park spark sparkle Parker bark

barker Perth birth dearth girth

smartest smirk marble garble gherkin

Martha marsh bargain corny

mark marker America embark empiric

purpose barb barbarous barbecue rhubarb

disturb suburban absorb parade borrowed deride carried

married narrowed parity charity sincerity hilarity

porridge barrage garage garage (2 pronunciations) marriage enrage

territory tyranny Pyrenées garrison guerilla

foreknown foreseen forth/fourth foreclose forefinger

boorish cherish garish moorish avaricious ferocious

ferocity spherical/sphericle* ferried zircon Zurich** *sphericle, noun = little sphere, spherule

**anglicised pronunciation

authority thoroughly Thor Thora thoracic southerly

plural spiral viral secretarial ministerial memorial Top of page

2. If the vowel calls for Ar, it is used where it s well, mainly before horizontal or upstrokes:

barely bearskin Brierley terseness tiresome tireless

sparsely scarcely securely doorman determine

similarly requirement diurnal angular binocular Ar is sometimes used before a right (clockwise) curve to gain a more flowing outline, despite a vowel following it:

quarrel squirrel flourish

aneurism neural neuralgia but neurotic neurosis Top of page

3. Use Ar before Em, Imp/Imb for a good , the same as you would initially, without regard to vowel indication:

alarm aquarium quorum squirm

harm harem hermetic carman Carmen

drawing-room ante-room entire inter unremitting

barium delirium curium sanatorium (also spelled sanitorium)

emporium honorarium vivarium Miriam

formal formula formation firearm pharmacy Ray before Em is unavoidable in a few outlines:

theorem thorium rosarium

sensorium insurmountable* surmountable *Such a long outline is not typical of the system. A non-standard suggested contraction could be to dis or intersect stroke En with "surmountable" and write in 3rd position.

Also allowed in these compound words, to maintain readability:

countryman ferryman juryman jury-mast

nurseryman Merriman artilleryman rearmouse/reremouse (=bat) The following are not in the shorthand dictionary, and are suggestions based on the examples above:

cavalryman infantryman pantryman

cameraman quarryman laundryman salaryman A non-standard suggested alternative for "cameraman", for those likely to use it frequently, might be to use M with R hook i.e. ca-mra-man

The vowel sign should always be inserted for the plural "-men" and all plurals that are formed only by a change of vowel. See Theory 10 Halving/Ray for halved Ray = part port fort etc Top of page

4. Before Kay Gay vowel indication is often possible:

fork ferric forego farrago

cork Carrick cargo Garrick

clerk cleric lark lyric

Sark cirque sarcasm circus circuit stark

Syriac Syracuse sirocco stearic resurrect insurrection Top of page

5. R Hook for brevity Some outlines use R Hook, despite the intervening vowel, to gain an even briefer outline and/or avoid awkward s. This is only done when the possibility of clashes is absent or minimal:

paragraph parallel perimeter perplex permit

barometer herbarium bacterium thermal term

kerchief kernel/colonel* garter garden garbage target * "colonel" is the only word whose outline has an R despite its absence in the longhand – solely to indicate pronunciation

course cursor curve curl curtain curt court

curtain garment merger murmur journal jeopardy

fervent verse shirk shark sharp derogatory* *Outline is in 2nd position, to accord with the first vowel of the word, not the first vowel shown in the outline

Such outlines need particular attention to learn because many of them could be written reasonably (but longer) within the main rules, and some might otherwise be very awkward or straggling outlines. Keeping them in your

vocabulary notebook whenever they are encountered is helpful, so they can be practised further. More examples in Theory 2 Vowels/Intervening Vowels and Theory 7 Hooks R L/Vocalisation Top of page

Finally 1. Vowel indication is straightforward in short words:

pair/pear parry prayer prairie bear/bare Barry

tear/tare tarry dare dairy drawer dreary

car carry cure Curie gear Gary

glare glory chore cherry jar Jerry/Gerry

choir/quire query enquire enquiry

fire fiery fore/four forest fur furry (See "furrier" below)

flower flowery veer vary severe sovereign* *middle vowel is not pronounced

lore lorry seller celery popular popularise

eye-sore ossuary shore sherry assure assurance

czar azure Azores zero Ezra Israel (2 pronunciations)

mare Mary mire miry smear summary

timer Tamara customer customary

miser misery snare narrow laser lacerate

scare scary solitaire solitary

singer ringer/wringer bringer hanger

pillar crawler dealer dollar solar

error arrear airier eerier aurora orrery Ararat

utterer stutterer caterer secretary, et cetera* *Latin = "and the rest" not spelled "ect"

freer frier/fryer/friar thrower throatier gatherer

cleverer hoverer manoeuvrer/maneuvrer (also spelled manoeuverer/maneuverer) Words with Hook R can also change to Ray when there is a following vowel:

recover recovery discover discovery prosper prosperous

factor factory victor victory Top of page

3. After 2 downstrokes use Ray to keep the outline from descending too far:

prepare despair disappear aspire stapler taxpayer

ratepayer horse-power proposer treser Shakespeare (occasionally Shakespere)

babbler troubler butler splutterer totterer chatterer

hairdresser discoverer ditherer tax-gatherer treasurer

bookstore downstairs upstairs endorser

brigadier bugbear blusterer pesterer plasterer Note: fosterer to avoid awkward After Eff and Vee, Ar gives a more facile outline, which outweighs having 3 downstrokes:

pacifier testifier defier decipherer justifier

exemplifier baffler trifler muffler shuffler shoveller Top of page

2. After KR or GR Ray is preferable, for a clear . If Ar were used, the outline would quickly deteriorate into an indeterminate curve:

crier greyer/grayer grower disagreer staggerer swaggerer 3. Use Ray with final hooks, this makes for a fast and forward-moving outline, and easy derivatives:

spurn burn born borne barn stubborn

turn return Saturn western darn churn adjourn

sojourn corn acorn fern Farnham

thorn shorn morning mourn learn

deserve preserve observe turf carafe scarf

portion apportion assertion immersion coercion desertion Typical derivatives:

burned/burnt burning burner turner learner sojourner

apportioner referred referee reference preserved preserver

server deserver observer but carve carver See also "served/swerved/server/swerver" in Distinguishing Outlines Top of page

If a vowel comes between the R and the N or F/V, Ray is the natural choice:

sporran barren Turin Darren Karen foreign Sharon

marine currency tariff sheriff midriff After a Shun Hook, use whichever s best:

partitioner practitioner pensioner conditioner

exhibitioner apportioner vacationer motioner commissioner Where both well, there is opportunity for vowel indication:

redemptioner redemptionary extortioner extortionary

missioner missionary confectioner confectionery * confectionary** * noun=sweets, ** adjective=relating to confections

When only Ray can be used after the Shun Hook, it may be advisable to insert any final vowel:

stationer stationery* stationary** petitioner petitionary probationer probationary *=paper

**=motionless

Mnemonic for spelling these 2 words

Top of page

5. For the sound "-ser" Use Ray after Kay Kway Gay Eff Vee En to gain a speedier outline (no examples found for Gway):

kisser ca acc crosser cruiser closer successor

boxer taxer mixer fixer vexer

coaxer hoaxer guesser geyser*/geezer geyser* disguiser *2 pronunciations

grocer/grosser aggressor glazier quizzer squeezer

professor ref officer sacrificer

visor reviser adviser* supervisor (2 pronunciations) dancer

*sometimes spelled advisor, and the adjective is always "advisory"

mincer cancer announcer pronouncer

sincere sensor answer nicer insert insertion

analyser sympathiser synthesizer thesaurus tyrannosaurus After other strokes, Ar is satisfactory and makes it clear that no vowel follows:

er pacer opposer baser blazer buzzer/busser ab

teaser tracer dossier desire bulldozer chaser Chaucer

chooser juicer laser loser utiliser lazier cosier/cozier Top of page

6. Use Ray after straight upstrokes, to maintain direction of writing:

rear reared roar roared uproar rower* rosary

*as in rowing boats

racer/raiser/razer* razor riser theoriser career carrier *raze = to level to the ground

terrier barrier superior mirror emperor

Farrar furore* farrier furrier (more furry) but furrier furriery (fur dealer & fur trade, shorter U vowel) – different derivations provide opportunity for distinguishing outlines *pronunciation varies

juror adhere adhered abhor abhorred

aware beware glassware Delaware

footwear knitwear underwear where anywhere

whirr wherry resource reserve per

wiser hisser hussar* ewer yore lawyer

*pronounced with a Z sound

bowyer terror terrorist terrorism compare tourist tourism Three plain straight strokes in the same direction must be avoided, because it would not be clear whether 2 or 3 strokes were meant, so the final stroke uses Ar. The resulting between Ray and Ar is not ideal, so care is needed to write accurately:

rarer roarer hurrier hairier

abhorrer adherer but horror horary Note the following where the hook or circle shows the junction:

harasser rehearse rehearser resorter

referrer reverter heronry hero-worship The above outlines need not invade the line above, because they are written at a shallow angle. Invading the line above is not critical, because that line is already written; descending too far is more to be avoided because you will have to jump over the lower part of that outline when writing on the next line. Top of page

7. Hook R is used for a slurred vowel (generally an unaccented syllable), Ar and Ray for a clearly sounded vowel:

offer fir ferry, rougher refire refer reverse/refers

river revere reverie, proffer prefer, prover proverb

deafer defer, advert divert, divers* diverse** *= people who dive, or several/some (archaic)

**= various, assorted, different

8. After doubling + N hook, use whichever s the best:

plunderer ponderer tenderer wanderer saunterer

mutterer/motherer smotherer murderer adventurer

orderer charterer flatterer flounderer thunderer

luckier liqueur – using Ar would result in an illegible outline. See also Theory 2 Vowels/Intervening vowels Top of page

After Hay Use Tick Hay before Ar:

hire hair here/hear harp harpoon harper herb herbal

hark hearken Harvey harvest Harvard hoarse horse horsy

horn horned hornet hernia harness harsh

hurl hurled heart/hart hurt harder herder hoarder Use downward Hay before Ar if forming a derivative:

high higher hoe hoer Use Upward Hay before Ray:

harrow hurry hearth Herrick Hereford Harwich

herald Harrap hairiness harangue hieroglyph Dot Hay has no effect on which R stroke to use:

warhorse unhurt unheard light-hearted Top of page

After W Semicircle

W Semicircle behaves similarly to Circle S at the beginning of an outline:

wire wear/ware weir warm worse

warn worn war warrior

wiry wary worry weary wart wort

warren warrant warden Warwick worth

world warmer warehouse wiriness

wired ward wardrobe weird wearer W Semicircle + Ray is speedier before downstrokes, despite absence of vowel after the R:

warp war-paint war-path wire-puller

Worsborough warble wirable war-office worship warship Top of page

Derivatives A final Ar may change to Ray in a derivative, to avoid awkward s or a descending outline:

bare bare-faced bareness bare-headed force forceful

moor moorhen moorfowl persevere perseverance

sparing sparingly boring boringly retiring retiringly

adoring adoringly adoration glaring glaringly

jarring jarringly enduring enduringly endurance endurable

iring iringly iration irable

enquiring enquiringly stirring stirringly stern sternmost

reassuring reassuringly reassurance inspire inspiration

discern discerning discernment* ornament *to distinguish it from discerning

unerringly clear clearness clearance If there is a hook between the two strokes, the other R stroke may better:

arch archer orchard search searcher urge urger

lard larder quart quarter fort fortress

earth Arthur forth/fourth farther war warfare

roam/Rome roamer/Romer romp romper warm warmer

origin orange arrange rearrange arid Arundel

Note: arm armour/armor armourer/armorer armoury/armory Ar is more legible for -rful, despite 3 downstrokes:

powerful powerfully prayerful tearful fearful

sire seer (prophet) compare sigher seer (one who sees) sayer sower/sewer (one who sews) which are 2-syllable derivatives and therefore more readable retaining their original stroke Ess. This is in contrast to single syllable derivatives, which generally change their form as necessary e.g. said, seen, sown, sawn, sighed (to be discussed on a later page.)

suer/sewer* (drain) sewage (contents) sewerage (the drainage system) *2 pronunciations given.

"Suer" is a 2-syllable derivative and would therefore keep the stroke Ess whichever vowel sign is used. "Sewer" (drain) is not a derivative, but uses stroke Ess because of the triphone, and also to form its derivatives conveniently, i.e. sewerage, sewage. (Latin: ex + aquaria = ex + ewer = sewer) Top of page

Stroke Rer This is a thickened Ar, always written downwards:

 Its central vowel is always unaccented and never vocalised  Only used to replace a final stroke Ar in derivatives  Never starts an outline, must have another stroke or an attachment (tick, circle, semicircle, loop) before it

poor poorer bore borer fair fairer hire hirer

hear hearer wear wearer explore explorer

sourer storer swearer but airer airers Note: sourest Stroke Ard Ar is halved and thickened for the addition of D:

   

No vowel may come between the R and D sounds. Can stand alone (unlike Rer which cannot) Never has a final vowel after it Used for the short forms "yard" and "word"

aired erred sired sword surd soured stirred starred steered sward

hired heard/herd poured prepared repaired aspired

barred/bard bored/board beard blared absurd tired retired dared desired

card cord/chord cored curd cured cleared acquired charred jeered

fired ford feared fjord veered revered

shard sherd shared shored showered assured assuredly* *Exceptional, in that a vowel is allowed after the Ard stroke, being lightly-sounded

marred mired ired nard nerd un-aired Use halved Ray to avoid illegible s:

geared gored glared lard larding lording

leered layered lowered laird* Lord** lord** (short form) *best always vocalised **If personal name, use full outline, as context cannot help = Lord's Cricket Ground, Mr Lord If title or noun, use short form = Lord Nelson, The Lord's Prayer

Where stroke Ard is not convenient, used halved Ray:

boarding-house boarding-school If there is a final vowel after the RD sound, use full strokes:

hard hardy bird birdy tarred tardy

word wordy weird weirdo Note also hairdo Any vowel sign following it (i.e. the next syllable) is written against the next stroke:

harden hardened ordain ordained inordinate ordinary

Dot Ing: herding hoarding boarding but Harding Arding as stroke Ing is preferable for proper names. Ard is used for the past tense of outlines with a doubled stroke + N hook:

ponder pondered tender tendered splinter splintered An outline using R Hook or doubling uses halving for "-ered", rather than Ard, as the syllable is mostly unaccented:

bicker bickered better bettered puckered occurred incurred

lacquered honoured mannered ushered hammered badgered

father fathered matter mattered mutter/mother muttered mothered

order ordered enter entered compare: inter interred deter deterred where the accent is on the last syllable. Top of page

Prefix IrrThis prefix means either a negative (same as "un-") or "in/into". Pairs of such outlines need to be distinctive as most of the time they will be unvocalised. This is achieved by changing the R stroke if possible, or adding an additional R stroke. This method is only concerned with producing pairs of different outlines and avoiding bad s, not with showing the meaning of the prefix or any attempt to reflect the two R's in the longhand: 1. Change Ray to Ar, this accords with normal vowel indication:

relevant irrelevant replaceable irreplaceable

retrievable irretrievable religious irreligious 2. If the Ray cannot be changed because a bad would result, then add Ar to the beginning. No vowel sign comes between the two R strokes:

radiate irradiate reclaimable irreclaimable

redeemable irredeemable reducible irreducible rational irrational 3. If the outline already uses Ar, then repeat the Ar:

remissible irremissible remediable irremediable* *Note the use of the halved stroke, to prevent further descent of the outline

Some are not part of a pair, so they follow normal rules:

irrigate irritate irruption iridium* iridescence* irascible* *Single R, from "iris" and "ira" (Latin=anger). Iridium also pronounced "eye-ridium"

Contractions:

recoverable irrecoverable regular irregular regularly irregularly

responsible/responsibility irresponsible/irresponsibility, respective irrespective, removable irremovable

These are normal outlines: removably responsibly irresponsibly responsibilities* *Aways vocalising the outlines for "response" and "responses" would give additional insurance against misreading.

If unsure about an "irr-" word during dictation, add the extra initial Ar anyway, whether it is correct or not – it will be perfectly legible. Avoiding hesitation during dictation is the highest priority, but the outline should be looked up and drilled at the first opportunity, so that you are always using the shortest outline available. These and similar negatives are also described on Theory 18 Prefixes page. R not shown Suffixes -ward -wort -wart -yard. These are unvocalised when used as suffixes. See Theory 10 Halving page for description and examples. Follow normal rules if writing as whole words:

ward wort wart yard* *short form The following outlines omit the R as even in the longhand the R is redundant and unpronounced:

Worcester/Wooster Worcestershire worsted = woollen cloth, named after UK town of Worstead

The adjective/adverb worse worst and verb worst* worsted* are pronounced as normal and so the R is shown in their outlines.

Stroke Imp/Imb Represents the compound sound of MP or MB, no vowel comes between, but can have a vowel either side:

amp imp impish samp sump swamp swampy

stamp stump stumpy impose impostor imposture impetus

impetuous umpteen empathy sympathy impetigo humpty-dumpty

impel impeller impelled impale impala ampoule

ampère amperage impair impure impurity empower

umpire empire empirical emperor imperative

imperial imperious em impact Simpkin

impeach impinge impunity amputate imputed impudent impedance

symposium Simpson Sampson (compare Samson) Thompson/Tompson

pump pumping pampas pompous pomposity pompom * pumpkin *same as pompon = wool tassel; "pompom" & "pom-pom" is also a type of automatic cannon Top of page

Pompeii (pronunciations vary) Pompey plump primp

bump bumpkin bumptious blimp

temp tempo tempera temperance temperate temporary See temporal below

timpanist Tampa tempest tempestuous trump trumpery tramp trampoline

damp damp-proofing dump dumpling dumpster Dempster Dempsey

camp decamp campus Kempsey campanula Kampala

scampi skimp crimp scrimp clamp

clump gump grumpy gramps* gazump

*Colloquial for "grandpa, grandfather"

mumps mumpish chomp champ chimp jump jumpy

lamp lumpy slump limp Limpsfield palimpsest

Olympia Olympic Olympiad ramp rampage rump

reimpose reimport frump flump vamp revamp thump Top of page

shampoo shrimp wimp wampum mugwump

hump hemp hempseed Hampshire humpback Humboldt

imbue umbo samba embus emboss embossed

umbel umbilical ambulance embolism embellish

ambush ambitious embassy embezzle imbecile embarrass embark

embog ambiguous ambivalent imbibe* imbiber* *Note the first B is part of the stroke Imb

embody ambassador ambidextrous Timbuctoo/Timbuktu plumbum plumbago

bombe* bamboo bamboozle Bombay bumbo bimbo *= ice cream dessert, the B is pronounced, derived from French Top of page

bambino bombast bombastic bombyx brumby

tambour tambourine tombola Dombey disembowel

jumbo jamboree Chimborazo akimbo camboose

cambium cambial Kimbolton Abercrombie* cambistry *Vowel may vary "crum" or "crom"

Cambodia gamba Gambia gumbo gamboge

limbo lambaste Lambeth lumbago Colombo* alembic according to speaker

mamba Mombasa Mozambique embalm embalmed

*Vowels may vary

nimbus nimby namby-pamby mumbo-jumbo

Zambia Zambezi Zimbabwe* zombie

*Note the first B is part of the stroke Imb

rumba rhomb* rhombus rhombic rambutan rumbustious

*The B is pronounced

flambeau flambé framboesia/frambesia thrombosis symbiosis * symbiotic* *Suggested outlines, not in dictionary Top of page

Comparison with the words they are derived from (or related to) shows how the stroke Imp replaces the plain stroke Pee:

pulse impulse polite impolite potent impotent

port import porter importer pervious impervious

ive imive pasta impasto pediment impediment

pose impose position imposition pertinent impertinent poverty impoverish

ime able imable partial impartial

patience impatience patient impatient*

*See Distinguishing Outlines List 3

imioned/impatient

part impart impartation but impartment*

*For ease of ing "-ment"

piety impiety pious* impious* impiously* *"pious" has different vowels from the other two

pecuniary impecunious peccable impeccable

bay embay embayment bale embale

battle embattle bank embank bug humbug

bosom embosom boldest embolden unbalanced imbalance * * "balance" is a short form (List 1) Top of page

Hooks N Hook:

pompon* Pompeian pumpion plumpen tympan tampon trombone

*same as

pompom

dampen champion chimpanzee champagne campaign campion crampon

lumpen lampoon Olympian rampion Grampian

sampan impugn impawn impen* hempen *enclose in a pen Shun Hook:

ambition imion imposition reimposition Where there is no vowel before the Shun Hook, the lightly sounded P is omitted and stroke Em is used:

exemption presumption resumption consumption assumption redemption gumption R Hook is described together with Doubling below, as both methods represent the same sound = imper/imber Never takes L Hook, use either stroke Ell or compound consonant Pel Bel.

impel (more above) ample (more below) Top of page

Halving Basic Imp/Imb cannot be halved, as that form is already allocated to MD. Only the hooked form can be halved. 1. When no vowel follows, the P is hardly sounded. It is therefore omitted and a halved Em is used to represent the M(P)T sound. This reflects the pronunciation and produces a shorter outline. Do not be misled by the final "-ed" in the longhand spelling, the pronunciation is always the T sound. The compound sound MBD (i.e. with no vowels between) does not occur, which is why the halved and thickened Em stroke was allocated to the sound of MD.

pumped plumped prompt pre-empt bumped tempt tramped dumped

champed chomped jumped camped encamped unkempt decamped

cramped crimped clamped skimped scrimped exempt

lumped slumped limped gazumped revamped thumped romped shrimped

humped stamped stomped swamped sumptuary

empty temptation temptress impromptu presumptuous have a vowel after the T sound, so would require a stroke anyway, to write the vowel against. With such words you could use stroke Imp if you wanted, but your outline would not match the theory book or the dictionary. You cannot however use a thickened halved Em, because that is not available, being already used to represent plain MD. Compare the following pairs: MT which represents M(P)T, and MD:

bumped bummed tempt tamed dumped deemed

ramped rammed cramped crammed stumped stemmed

Note the halved Em behaves as per normal halving rules, it can have a vowel between the M and the T sounds:

prompt promote prompter promoter limped (="limt") limit Names and place names must remain clear, as context cannot help, so stroke Imp is used, even though the P sound may be spoken just as lightly as the above words:

Ampthill Hampden Hampton Hampstead compare Hamstead

Compton Crompton Bampton Frampton Southampton * *correct with one longhand H, no aspirate is pronounced or required in the outline

Speakers will vary according to how much they pronounce the light P sound, and some may leave it out altogether, but the shorthand outlines should remain constant. What people say when they are speaking carefully may be entirely different from their pronunciation in actual fast usage. Top of page

2. If there is vowel after the MP/MB, add stroke Tee or Dee:

impute trumpet strumpet strombite crumpet ambit gambit

wombat limpet limpid embayed imbued impede

stampede sambaed mamboed ombudsman rhomboid flambéed shampooed Top of page

3. Halved if Hooked Can be halved if it has an R Hook or N Hook:

hampered rampart whimpered Lambert slumbered cambered clambered scampered

impend/impenned* impugned impound impawned ambient Note: impended impounded *impenned = past tense of impen, to enclose in a pen

dampened championed campaigned lampooned lambent rampant flamboyant 4. Not halved when it has Shun Hook, use halved Ish+N Hook:

ambitioned* imioned** imionate *adjective = full of ambition, suggested outline, not in shorthand dictionary. A lone stroke, thickened, halved and with shun hook is too indistinct to be reliable. See also Theory 9 Shun Hook/halved stroke page. **See Distinguishing Outlines List 3 imioned/impatient Top of page

Doubled or with R Hook

The sound of imper/imber (with the accent on the first syllable and a slurred second vowel) is represented both by doubling and by using the R Hook. The two strokes shown above represent identical sounds, and which to use depends on the convenience of the . See also the Quick Reference Table on Theory 11 Doubling page Use the doubled stroke when it is the only stroke in the outline, or after a downstroke or Em:

amber ember umber sombre/somber simper stamper

pamper pumper plumper bumper Bamber

tamper tamperer temper temperament temporal*

*This is exceptional, as the vowel after the P is "or" not "er", but doubling is used to prevent similarity with temporary/temporarily, see above

temperature distemper damper dumper

chomper chamber jumper September December but November (contraction)

mumper thumper Northumberland Top of page

Use the hooked form in all other cases i.e. after upstrokes and straight horizontals (the doubled stroke would perfectly well to a horizontal, but the hooked form is preferable so that it can be halved for past tenses):

camper/camber scamper Camberwell Camberley Cumberland

cucumber Stogumber whimper romper reimburse

hamper humper/Humber lumper/lumber/lumbar slumber limper/limber Lamberhurst If the Imp has an N hook, the doubling adds -der (these 4 words are the only examples):

imponderable imponderability imponderous impounder Note: ponderable ponderous Past tenses: the doubled form changes to Em and halved Per/Ber:

tampered tempered timbered simpertinentimpered chambered pampered As doubling of stroke Imp only adds -er, to add the sound of -eter, stroke Tee with R Hook is used:

trumpeter embitter imputer Lampeter If there is no central vowel, then the P sound is only lightly sounded and need not be represented: use Em doubled, which adds the -ter sound as per normal doubling rules:

prompt prompted prompter tempt tempted tempter

Plumptre (plump-ter & plum-ter) The dictionary gives no final vowel for the first outline. Isaac Pitman's Phonographic & Pronouncing Dictionary of 1894 gives the name "Plumptree" same as the first outline but with a heavy final vowel to match the spelling. This is a town-derived surname = place of plum trees.

Note: pumpernickel* sempervirent* shrimper** shrimp *For ease of ing nouns

**Not doubled, to provide added distinction from "shrimp" as both are

Top of page

When not to use 1. Vowel between: not used if there is vowel between the M and the P/B sounds:

map mapped mope moped (past tense of mope) moped (bike) maypole myopia

mob mobbed mobber mobile Namibia

amoeba/ameba demob somebody homebody 2. Con/com dot: the representing of con/com/cum, either by the initial dot or by dising, includes the M sound, so only the following P or B stroke needs to be written:

compel compare complain comprise recompense encumber Top of page

3. MBL: If no vowel between, or only a slurred unaccented vowel, use plain Em and Pel/Bel:

ample amply amplify employ imply implication

implore implode amble umbles Embleton emblem

emblazon pimple preamble bumble bramble

temple Templeton template tumble tremble dimple

Campbell (pronounced "camble") gamble/gambol crumple crumble scramble

jumble fumble thimble assembly shambles shambolic * *not in dictionary, suggested outline based on "symbolic" below

sombrous sombrero sample example simple

stumble symbol/cymbal symbolic but symbology

mumble nimble ensemble* resemble rumble

*Anglicised pronunciation

humble Hambleton wimple Wembley Wimbledon Top of page

4. MPR MBR with no vowel between, use plain Em and Per/Ber:

empress impress impression imprint imprison

improper improvise imprudent lamprey

embryo embrace Ambrose ambrosia embrasure

embroil umbrella imbroglio umbrage

Flamborough Northumbria Cumbria Hambrook

Note also Hamburg Cambourne Wimborne Top of page

5. Derivatives starting Im+per and Im+pl 1. If the word is derived from one that uses a hook i.e. PR PL BR BL, retain that form and use stroke Em before it:

person impersonate personal impersonal perfect imperfect*

*Contraction

permanence impermanence perforated imperforated

permeable impermeable permissible impermissible

placate implacable placement emplacement plausible implausible Top of page

6. Compound words: not used where the M and P/B belong to different words:

timepiece tomboy dumb-bell homebred homebrewed

bumboat gumboot gumboil hymn-book

time-bomb plum-pudding stormbound lamp-post*

*choice of full outline or contraction (this contraction is ignoring the rule, as the outline is sufficiently distinctive)

7. PH: Not used where the longhand P is part of PH = F sound:

triumph lymph nymph galumph

amphitheatre amphibian amphora samphire

pamphlet emphasise symphony emphysema Top of page

8. Silent B: A longhand silent B has no place in shorthand and the M is treated as normal:

aplomb* plumber bomb bombing tomb dumb

*Anglicised pronunciation (from

French)

comb succumb climb crumb

lamb limb thumb womb numb number (= more numb, pronounced "nummer")

lambed limbed thumbed combed climbed Stroke Ish only has one form, but can be written in two directions:  The default is downwards, but is written upwards for convenient ing or to maintain balance, similar motion or lineality (=keeping to the line)  Can take Hooks  With R Hook = "Sher" is always written downwards  With L Hook = "Shel" is always written upwards  In some instances Ish + N Hook is used instead of Shun Hook  Denotes the suffix "-ship" in derivatives  Used for short forms: shall/shalt wish wished sure short (Short Forms List 4)  The thick stroke "Zhee" is always written downwards, with no exceptional uses, so is not part of this page Initially Medially Finally Hook between Hooked Ish

Halving Balancing, Angles & Similar Motion Lineality Derivatives Suffix -ship Words of non-English origin Initially 1. Alone = always down

ash shy Shaw show showy showiest shyest she shoe/shoo

shine Sean/Shaun Shane shun shown shin ocean ashen Asian

sash sachet/sashay Sasha/Sacha stash swash swish shyster Schuster

shot shut sheet shoot shout

satiate satiation sashed stashed shunt/shunned shined shinned

shatter shutter/shudder shooter shouter shunter Top of page

2. Down before most strokes

Pee Bee: shop shape Sheppey ship sheep

shabby Sheba Ashby Ashbourne

Tee Dee: Ashton Shetland shouted shiatsu shittim-wood

shade shed shadow shoddy shied shoed/shooed

Chay Jay: short-change shortage shoji

Kay Gay: shock shack shake Shakespeare shook Chicago shaggy

Ith Thee: sheath sheathe sheathed

Ess (Zee) Ish (Zhee): chassis shush shortish shrewish Shushan shish-kebab

Em Imp: sham shame ashamed shimmy shamrock shemozzle

showman shaman shambles shampoo

En Ing: shiny shyness ashiness Shannon shunted shandy shantung Oceania

sheeting shouting Shanghai shank Shanklin shingle

Ar Rer Ard: shire shore share shareholder sharer shared shirt shear/sheer

assure Shirley Charlotte shower (one who shows) shower (water)

Ray: sherry/Cherie ashery shorn Sharon sheriff cheroot usherette

assurance Sheerness Sheraton Sheridan Sherwood

Hay: Sheehy Scheherezade Top of page

3. Up before these strokes to make a good :

Eff Vee: sheaf Sheffield shaft shift shifter shifty

sheaves shove shoved shave shaven Siobhan/Siobhain

Ell: shallow shawl shell Shelley shale shoal Sheila

social socialise Seychelles shieling/shealing* shilly-shally *Derivative of shiel, therefore stroke Ell, compare with shilling below which uses the L Hook

shield shelled shoaled sheltie/shelty shelter shoulder

The first two words below are compound words, so would take upward Ish because of the preceding stroke, but they show that Way s best to upward Ish if a new word forced a choice. Using W semicircle is the best option for single words:

Way (Yay): brushwood dishwasher shwanpan schwa* Schwarz** *=the name of the unaccented vowel sound e.g. sofa, metal; suggested outline, not in dictionary **=anglicised "shworts", not in dictionary, suggested outline based on "shirts"; see below for "shv" version Top of page

Medially The direction of Ish is chosen to fit in with the stroke before the Ish. If the stroke after the Ish doesn't well, there is always the option of dising:

insure censure machinist misshape* *Circle S shown, although hardly pronounced, resulting in a much more readable outline.

bashful marchioness cashmere/Kashmir

Compounds: fisherman bushman store-ship wash-house

sunshine moonshine marshmallow fish-market See also Derivatives below, where the addition of grammatical endings makes the Ish medial. Top of page

Finally 1. Downwards after most strokes:

Pee Bee: push pettish potash capacious captious apish waspish

bush bash abash rubbish snobbish sebaceous

Tee (but not Dee): tish toyish attaché latish sluttish Saltash sottish sweetish

cultish coquettish moustache crustacea cetaceous/setaceous * Note also: crustacean/crustation** cetacean *cetaceous = relating to whales/dolphins; setaceous = bristly

**crustacean=shellfish; crustation=the formation of crust

Although plain Tee always takes downward Ish, stroke Dee (plain or with attachments) always take upward Ish. The reason for this is not explained, but I am assuming it is to provide an extra differentiation between the two strokes.

Chay Jay: Chesham (2 pronuniations) childish Joshua Jewish

Kay Gay: cash crash clash brackish rakish Turkish thickish

ticklish cliquish precocious lickerish*/liquorice/licorice** *greedy/lecherous **=sweet confection – different derivations but both can have variant spelling "liquorish"

efficacious factious fractious vexatious cattish skittish Scottish

Scotia gash gracious sagacious sluggish roguish

negotiate negotiation ingratiate

Kway (Gway): quash squash vanquish but anguish* languish* *outline omits the G sound, and note also that "relinquish distinguish extinguish" are contractions that omit the "guish" part

Ith Thee: etherish spathaceous acanthaceous

Ish (Zhee): freshish* Tarshish* baksheesh/bakshish hasheesh/hashish beige-ish/beigeish* *Suggested outlines, not in dictionary

Em Imp: mash smash mesh mushroom Amish (pronunciations vary) Hamish machine

famish Flemish blemish Romish squeamish tam-o'-shanter (=tammy, a type of beret/cap)

ambush impish lumpish dampish vampish frumpish

En Ing: nash/gnash tenaceous pretentious Danish tarnish burnish nourish

clannish mannish womanish onish diminish

pernicious pugnacious carbonaceous licentious English *

initiate initiation initiative differentiate differentiation

*Contraction

Ell: lash leash luscious slash slushy stylish yellowish

delicious fallacious malicious demolish galoshes Galashiels

Wel: Welsh/welch Walsh woolshed

Ar: harsh Horsham Irish

Ray: rash rush rawish parish bearish boorish

cherish marsh Marcia nightmarish Moorish

Horatio Hiroshima voracious* veracious* avaricious* *voracious=huge appetite, veracious=truthful, avaricious=greedy for gain

Hay Way Hway Yay: hash hush wash woosh/whoosh wheyish whitish yashmak

Reversed FR VR: fresh freshen liverish silverish cleverish Top of page

2. Upwards after these strokes:

Dee: dosh dash dish radish widish wildish Yiddish

modish prudish saddish Swedish audacious seditious mendacious

Eff Vee: fish officious facetious efficient/efficiently/efficiency * sufficient/sufficiently/ sufficiency* *Contractions

flash flesh afresh facia/fascia fasciation

lavish elvish slavish vivacious

ravish knavish feverish devilish

Ess (Zee): associate associated association

Down Ell: foolish vilish retain downward Ell of "fool" & "vile", compare Felisha Felicia

THR: thrash thresh thrush three-ish Top of page

Hook between If there is a hook between Ish and the stroke it is ed with, Ish will be written in the most convenient direction: 1. Initial Ish is always upwards before the following:

KL KR GR: shackle shaker sugar chagrin/shagreen Note: shocker* *probably as a distinguishing outline from "shaker"

reversed FR VR: chauffeur Schaeffer shaver shover shiver

MR: shammer shamer shimmer Other hooks do not affect an initial Ish:

shopper shipper shepherd/Sheppard shoeblack shootable

shattery shattered shuttered shuddered shuttle shuddered shiner shunner

shuffle shovel Top of page

2. Final Ish will follow the motion of the intervening hook ("similar motion"):

punish Spanish replenish banish brandish blondish outlandish

peevish briefish toughish deafish deficient/deficiently/deficiency * Babylonish *Contraction

finish vanish Cavendish faintish*/fiendish* compare faint fiend fiendishly *There is no room on the outline to show the different places occupied by the vowel in the first syllable, so these two words have virtually identical outlines. A non-theory suggestion would be to write "fiendish" with the Ish through the line.

thinnish heathenish varnish furnish Top of page

Hooked Ish 1. R Hook – Sher is always down:

usher Esher shrew shrewish Shrewsbury (note vowel) sharp Shropshire shrapnel

shrub shrubbery sherbet shred shrewd shroud shredder shrewder

shark shirk shriek shrug shrew-mouse shrimp shrink

shrine enshrined shrill shroffage shrift shrivel Shrove

pusher pressure basher brasher brusher blusher

Derbyshire (note vowel) dasher Cheshire casher kosher gusher Note: cashier

clasher crusher rasher rusher lavisher fisher/fissure Note: fishery

flasher fresher refresher thrasher thresher

finisher lasher slasher polisher masher smasher

burnisher tarnisher Shoreditch off-shore Ayrshire Perthshire

beneficiary tertiary fiduciary penitentiary evidentiary

Sher halved: pressured fissured tonsured ushered short* shortest shorten shorter *Short form

Use Ray if Sher cannot :

punisher replenisher banisher varnisher furnisher Note: furniture Top of page

2. L Hook – Shel is always up, and the central vowel is not shown if it is a short E or a slurred vowel:

shelf bookshelf shelve shellac shellfish

nuptial bushel racial Herschel specialist Note: special*

potential provincial credential presidential fiducial

official facial beneficial superficial sacrificial

*Short form

residential torrential deferential differential Note: defer differ

For -ly, add the dot vowel: officially superficially initially essentially

sheepishly boyishly boorishly waspishly

lavishly slavishly peevishly feverishly

flashily fleshly fleshliness foolishly Use for -ciality, and the central IA vowels are not written:

partiality speciality* specialty superficiality potentiality

*Note the vowel before

the Tee

Used for some words beginning "shel-" to gain a more convenient outline (there are no words beginning "shl-" that they could clash with):

shilling Shelton Sheldon Shelburne Never used on its own for the word "shell", but can replace the normal outline in compound words:

egg-shell snail-shell bomb-shell tortoise-shell * *S is not pronounced in this compound word, so no Circle S is shown in the dictionary outline but if you did insert it, the outline would be just as quick to write and probably be easier to recognise when transcribing. Compare with "misshape" above.

Can be halved for D in derivatives:

marshall/martial marshalled bushelled initialled Top of page

3. N Hook Stroke Ish + N Hook is used instead of the Shun Hook after triphones and where the Shun Hook is not convenient or appropriate to write:

continuation sinuation tuition situation* striation* *Direction of Ish balances the initial attachment

Shun Hook is not used in these derivatives because it would not , so full strokes are necessary:

nation nationhood secession secessionist concession concessionary More details on Theory 9 Shun Hook/On halved stroke & When not to use Top of page

Halving For past tenses, where the Ish already makes an angle the direction can remain the same, but these do need extra care as the angle is not very sharp and a halved Ish is less clear than a full stroke:

pushed upshot splashed brushed blushed bloodshot dashed trashed

cashed gushed rushed gnashed astonished finished varnished After curved strokes a full-length Ish often continues the curve. But when halved it needs an angle to show its different length, so it may need to change direction:

fish fished officiate officiator vitiate vitiation * flash flashed *to match vitiate, compare with fasciation above

fresh freshet refresh refreshed impoverish impoverished The same applies if it is the curved stroke before or after that is halved:

flattish fetish shallot If halving cannot be done because no angle can be achieved in either direction, then upward Ish+Tee is used:

lash lashed unleashed polish polished

abolish abolished relish relished demolish demolished

mashed smashed meshed blemished famished skirmished – these provide easier outlines than a halved upward Ish. A ed "shunt/shund" stroke is mostly written upwards to keep the outline moving forwards. The examples in the second row show where Shun Hook cannot be retained for the past tense (see also Theory 9 Shun Hook/On halved stroke):

ancient initiand freshened machined Note: harshened

imioned sanctioned unctioned pensioned mentioned dimensioned Top of page

Balancing, Angles & Similar Motion If a straight stroke has an initial circle or hook, the Ish will go the opposite way to balance the outline, with the purpose of keeping the stroke straight (same as happens with Shun Hook). If all the curves went the same way, the outline would be difficult to read and become illegible when written at speed. "Similar motion" is beneficial only between two consecutive curves to aid speed, so long as it remains clear which strokes/hooks are involved. When the outline has a mixture of straight and curved strokes, possibly of different lengths, plus various hooks, then it is necessary to introduce angles to keep it readable:

push plush splash spacious species bush blush bluish

precious prescience prescient brash brush soberish

tosh superstitious* but trash atrocious nutritious Patricia bitterish *Balance takes preference over lineality here, as a reliable outline is more important than avoiding a descending outline.

fairish flourish squarish mopish mobbish would be unreadable if written with downward Ish.

ashlar Schiller would be unreadable if written with upward Ish. For SH-L-R words which are derivatives, as under, I would suggest adding stroke Ray, in order to preserve the original outline, although no precedent outline is available in the dictionary (stroke Ler can only be used to replace an existing downward Ell):

marshaller* busheller* initialler* sheller* *Suggested outlines, not in dictionary After halved BR, the Ish can remain downward, presumably as a help to distinguish them from outlines that have full BR + upward Ish:

British* broadish broadsheet Bradshaw

*Distinguishing outline, compare with

brutish below

In compound words and phrases, the Ish may change direction in order to form the necessary angle or continue the motion of the preceding hook:

sheets balance-sheets proof-sheets shots shoot off-shoot overshot earshot Top of page

Lineality Ish goes upwards to keep the outline compact, to avoid 3 or more descending strokes, but only if the s remain good:

bishop sheepish sheepshank shipshape foppish

herbaceous furbish brutish thirtyish fictitious

disputatious patience patient, peashooter but sharpshooter for balance Top of page

Derivatives In compound words, retain the original direction wherever possible:

shyly shoeless shoehorn ash-hole Ashley Ashford compare Sheila chauffeured

overshadow showroom snowshoe sash-line sash-window show-ground

unsocial antisocial shatterproof fish-shop toyshop (compare bishop above)

shell-shock unshackle unsheathe With most endings, the direction of Ish does not need to change:

pushing bashing dashing crashing punishing finishing

washable crushable perishable flushable accomplishable * *The stroke Kay represents the prefix "accom-" (see Theory 18 Prefixes/Accom page)

boyishness freshness bookishness brackishness stylishness

rashness noxiousness sluggishness foolishness

preciously atrociously audaciously tenaciously graciously ferociously The stroke direction only changes to make a better or more compact outline:

abolishable polishable demolishable

vicious viciousness but viciously, fishiest but Fascist to match Fascism

round roundish oldish Top of page

Suffix -ship Stroke Ish is used to denote the suffix "-ship" and occasionally the noun "ship" (=boat), either ed or dised, and in full where that is more legible:

citizenship township friendship hardship courtship fellowship worship This is dealt with more fully on Theory 20 Suffixes Contracted/ship page. Top of page

Words of non-English origin Words of French origin often pronounce their longhand "ch" with the Ish sound, although the rest of the word generally accords with English pronunciation. Avoid the error of using Chay to match the longhand:

chandelier chamois château chaperon/chaperone charade charlatan

chauvinism chef Chevrolet chevron* chevronel* *The normal rule is to use upwards Ish and reversed VR (as in shaver above) but presumably the above form is used to allow the derivative "chevronel"

chivalry chic chicane chicanery chiffon champagne

crèche cache cachet quiche panache

Top of page

Longhand spelling "sch" varies in pronunciation:

SH: schist schmaltz schmooze schnapps schnauzer* Schwarz** * "shnowt-ser" ** "shvarts", dictionary outline, see "shw" version above)

schnorkel schnorrer scheelite schilling schorl schottische

Schubert Schubertian borsch borscht meerschaum

schedule (British=SH) schedule (American=SK) sciolto nasturtium

atichoo/atishoo issue* issued issuer tissue* tissued *Dictionary outlines. If you used Ish you would then have to change the past tenses to much longer outlines with full stroke Dee.

SK: schema scholar schizophrenia schizanthus

scherzo schism ischiatic eschatology

scholium schooner Pasch paschal

CH: escheat eschew kitsch klatsch 1. CON- COM- CUM- COG(a) Dot Initial con/com is represented by a dot written at the head of the stroke:

 Place it exactly at the head of the stroke, and not slightly to one side or the other where it might be mistaken for a first place vowel sign.

 The vowel that comes after the con is the one that decides the position  

of the stroke. As there are so many con/com words, this is an extra aid to recognition. The dot represents the whole of the syllable – do not write an extra stroke M or N just because the longhand has two of that letter. The con dot is not omitted in the way that vowel dots are omitted at will.

compose comparison comparative compatible competition compress

complain complicated comprehend compute computed computer

conspire combat combine combination committee contest contrive

container commuter control contract contribute continue contemporary

conceit Constance constant construe constrain construction constriction

constitute constituted constitution condemn condition conditional conduit

condense concede consider commodity commodore congeal con conjugation

conjecture connect connection concave concussion concoction

commix concur concrete concord conclude conclusion consecutive

conscript congress Congreve congratulate congregate

conglomeration confuse confide confirm conflict

convey connive convention convenient

conscious conscientious concession consist consistent comestible

commemorate commemorative commeasurable consume consumer

common commonsense common-law commoner commune communism

consign consent consensus consonant commend command commander

commence comment commentary concentrate concentration console conceal

conciliation constellation concern conurbation conserve conservative conservation

concert consortium consternation consequence consequently conquest

convert converted converse conversation* confront to distinguish from affront *Although there is no vowel before, these 4 use the left (anticlockwise) version of the hooked stroke VR to allow easier derivatives, but "confront" and "afront" follow the normal rule.

A longhand com or con may be pronounced "cum" or "cun", but this cannot be indicated in the outline:

comfort comfortable com company constable but comion companion constabulary are pronounced with short O Top of page

(b) Proximity (=nearness, juxtaposition) Medial con/com is shown by writing the strokes before and after it close together, instead of using a dot. This is exactly the same as dising, but for a different reason:

 Proximity: writing the parts near to each other in order to signify con/com/cum/cog. The second part of the outline is generally level



with or slightly tucked under the first part. With some stroke combinations (chiefly after Pee Bee Tee Dee) it may be possible to also indicate the vowel of the second part by writing that in position as well, but not at the expense of keeping the two close together. Dising: writing the parts of an outline near to each other because (a) they cannot be ed satisfactorily, or (b) detaching a portion of the outline to signify another suffix, e.g. "-mental" "-ality" "-lessness". Its name reflects the fact that the parts would be ed if they could, or were ed to start with.

When using proximity, the outlines take their position from the first vowel of the word, as normal. In the following, the initial prefix is the first up or downstroke, so that is the one that takes its rightful position in regard to the line. The second half of the outline can also be in position according to its vowel, but only if a convenient outline results:

decompose decompression decontaminate discontinue discomfort

disconnect disconcerting ill-concealed ill-conceived ill-considered malcontent

overconfident overcompensate preconceive preconception precondition

recompense recommend recommendation reconcile reconnoitre recondite

recombine recondition reconsider reconstruct recommit reconnect recommence

subconscious subcommittee subcontract subcontinent

well-conducted well-constructed well-connected well-concealed Top of page

In the following, the initial prefix is a horizontal stroke. The first up or downstroke comes somewhere after the con-, so that is the stroke that is written in position in regard to the line. The position of the whole outline is still decided by the first vowel sound of the word, not the vowel that follows that particular up or downstroke (see asterisked examples below):

incompetent incomplete incomparable incompatible incombustible

inconspicuous incontinent inconsistent inconclusive incongruous incongruously

incommunicable* inconsequential* inconceivable encom *With these two, the first up or downstroke is the very last one, but the outline is still placed according to the first vowel.

excommunicate uncompromising uncomplaining uncompleted uncomplicated

uncommitted unconditionally unconnected unconscious uncommon unconcerned

misconceive misconstrue misconduct semi-conductor semi-conscious semi-complete

non-committal non-compliance non-combatant non-conductor

non-content non-consent non-conformist* *Optional contraction Top of page

These contractions omit the con:

contentment* inconsiderate inconvenient/inconveniently/inconvenience constitutional constitutional/constitutionally** *The N is also omitted **Optional contraction

Proximity within a phrase can replace an initial con dot if the outline can be written close to the one preceding. Unlike the "medial con" words listed above, the con- word in such phrases must retain its correct position in regard to the ruled line. The words should form a natural phrase, otherwise legibility will be reduced:

I am confident, they will consume, your complaint, sign the contract

their control, full container, unfair comparison, very comfortable

we shall consider, we shall commence, we shall continue In some advanced phrases, the con can be omitted altogether and the remainder of the outline ed, providing the phrase is a common/obvious one:

we have concluded, satisfactory* conclusion, I am concerned, for your consideration *Contraction Top of page

Proximity is useful in these words for the word "come":

income tax, becoming welcoming incoming oncoming overcoming homecoming

The originals use short forms: come coming income become welcome overcome

locum-tenens but locum locomotion locomotive*

*Optional contraction

Proximity is not appropriate after punctuation marks, vowel-sign short forms (a, the, why, how, beyond, you, with, when, what, would) or single downward dashes (of, all, to, too, on, owe/ought, but) but is sufficiently clear after upward dashes (and, should, upward tick the):

and contain, should continue, on the company, on the condition The idea is that the short forms are not mistaken for vocalisation of the following outline. Sometimes the con- word cannot be placed clearly in the combination and is better written with the con dot:

Clear combination: should commend, and command, on the committee, beyond the control

Needs dot: should command, and commend, on the connection, beyond control, would complete When a vowel-sign short forms is part of a phrase, then proximity can be used because the con- word is being written near a stroke rather than just a floating dot or dash:

for the conditions, in the committee, for all consumers, if you would consider Compare:

The conditions ... The committee ... All consumers would consider If you decide to leave a larger-than-usual space between outlines in order to signify your future punctuation in the transcript, then clearly proximity is not possible. It would not be appropriate anyway because it should only be used for words that run on easily (as per normal phrasing rules) and not where there is a natural gap or pause. As shorthand speed is helped by having reasonably compact notes rather than sprawling ones, it is important that only the clearest proximity phrases are used. When in doubt, retain the dot for the con- word rather than risk a hesitation or unclear notes. Top of page

(c) Cum and cog are only abbreviated when medial:

circumference circumvent circumnavigate circumcise circumcision

circumspect circumscribe decumbent encumber encumbrance incumbent

recognise recognition unrecognisable recumbence superincumbent

precognition incognito

These contractions omit the whole prefix: circumstance circumstantial Cum and cog at the beginning of a word are always shown with full strokes, therefore it is irrelevant whether they are grammatically a prefix or not:

cumbent cumber cumbersome Cumbrian

cummerbund cumquat cummin/cumin Cummings comings *

cumulus cumulative cognize

cognate cognition cognitive cognomen

*Short form

The following words may occasionally be encountered with silent G. The shorthand dictionary (1974) prefers the silent G versions, but in modern dictionaries they have the hard G sound: Pronounced CON:

cognoscible cognizant incognizant Suggested outlines for when pronounced COG - just add in a stroke G:

cognoscible cognizant incognizant* *Avoiding proximity, in order to keep the set of words alike

Whichever outline is used, the spelling in your transcript will be the same. Alternatives are given here because the shorthand dictionary does not reflect current pronunciation.

These follow Italian/French pronunciation: cognoscente cognac Top of page

(d) "Concom-" Write the first syllable in full and use proximity to represent the second one:

concomitant concomitance also co-conspirator (e) Some con- and com- words are clearer written in full, even though it is a grammatical prefix:

commissar commissary commissariat commiserate

commissioner subcommissioner commissionaire commove

commotion commission decommission non-commissioned

commorancy connascent connate connatural

connoisseur consul consular consulate

reconnaissance connumeration to distinguish from numeration

commerce commercial/commercially*

*Contraction

connote connotation to distinguish from commutation Top of page

(f) Where the con- or com- is not a prefix write it in full:

comb coma comma Como comose

comely incomer* newcomer comeback** *Using short form "in" hence the N is unvocalised

**Using short form "come"

comedown comedian comedy comic comical

comfrey comet comate/co-mate comity* *=courtesy/civility, with accent on first syllable, not to be confused with "committee"

comp* Compton con conned conning-tower *Popular abbreviation for various words beginning thus

cone coney condor conic conical

conoid coniform conifer conine

conch/conk conchate Congo Congolese

conation conative conatus Connie Connaught

Congleton conger/conker/conquer conqueror unconquerable

Connecticut Connor/Conner Connell Conrad Conway Top of page

2. ACCOMUse Kay ed or dised:

 The prefix is deemed to include the O vowel after the M in 

accommodate etc. The prefix is ed only for "accommodation" and "accomplish" as those outlines are distinctive enough not to be mistaken for other words.

accommodate accommodative accommodator accommodated unaccommodating accommodation

accompany unaccompanied accomplice accomplish unaccomplished

accumbent accumbency Not a prefix: accumulate acumen Top of page

3. MAGNA- MAGNE- MAGNIA dised M represents these syllables, with a short a/e/i vowel. Both vowels of the prefix are deemed to be included in the M and are therefore not written:

magnify magnification magnifical magnificat magnificent

magnanimous magnanimity magniloquence magnalium

Magna Carta magnitude magnetite magnetise magnetiser

magnetisation magnetometer magnetometric magneton magnetron

magnetic/magnetically/magnetism (Contraction) magnetics* magnetisms* *Suggested outlines for the plurals. As they are both nouns, adding Circle S to the short form would be ambiguous.

magnet If the prefix were used, this would involve a penlift, resulting in a slower outline for this short word. Top of page

"Magnetism" etc in compound words: the contraction should not be ed, as that would not be clear. If the Em can be ed to the stroke before it, then use it for the "magne-" prefix. If it cannot be ed, then a dised contraction would be sufficiently clear:

demagnetise unmagnetised remagnetised diamagnetic diamagnetism

hydromagnetism* antimagnetic* aeromagnetism*

electromagnetic thermomagnetism* geomagnetism* *Suggested outlines, not in dictionary. Writing in full as shown is preferable to using the contraction, in order to avoid ambiguities about the endings, see asterisked note on "magnetics" above.

ferromagnetism ferrimagnetism nonmagnetic These cannot the Em, therefore the contraction is used. If the magn- ends with any vowel other than the short ones shown above, it is written using full strokes, and these are not prefixes anyway:

magnum magnate magnolia

magnesium magnesian magnesia magnesic An exception to the above rule is "magneto". The length of the E varies between the derivatives and it makes sense to keep the whole set the same as the other "magnet" words above:

magneto magneto-electric magneto-electricity magnetopause magnetosphere magnetostatic

Note: static electric* electricity* *Contractions The prefixes magna- etc are derived from Latin magnus = great. The "magnet" words are derived from Magnesia, a region in Greece where magnetic rocks were first discovered in ancient history. Top of page

4. IN- UN(a) Stroke N according to normal rules:

inspire inseparable inbuilt intake intractable

insist indecent injustice ingress infuse infringe

invent inverse invalid inimitable insure inquire

inestimable inexpensive* inequality** unopposed untie unattached *Using contraction **Using short form "equal" therefore that part is on the line

untrue undo* undecided unclean unguarded unhook *Does not use short form "do"

unhygienic unholy unhealthy unloved

unethical unlocked unlikely unoccupied unrealistic * unearned

*Note the I dot goes at the end of the stee loop and not squeezed in below where the Kay starts.

unsuccessful unfaithful uninspiring unimportant unimproved * *Short form is not used for this word, as it would be too similar to "unimportant"

influenced uninfluenced* uninfluential (Contraction) *This is shown incorrectly in the 1974 dictionary written on the line, but correct, as here, in the 1950's dictionary.

These use halving: intend intent intention intense integral integrate

intellect intoxicate intangible integument Top of page

(b) Use small initial hook before the strokes STR SKR and upward Hay, where the in- is not a negative:

instruct instructor instruction* instrument inscribe/inscribed* inscription* inscriber inscroll *Contractions

inhale inhaler inhalant inherent inherit inheritance inheritor

inhabit inhabitant inhibit inhibition If it is a negative, the small hook is not distinctive enough when written at speed, considering the word has the opposite meaning, so full stroke N is used to keep it very clear which is meant:

inscrutable inhospitable The small hook is not used for any of the following: (a) Not before downward Hay:

inhume inhuman inhumane inhumanity (b) Not for un- en-:

unscrew unscrewed unscrupulous unscripted *

unscriptural** unscramble unscratched unscrutinized **This also has an optional contraction

unstrung sunstroke sunscreen* unscreened* on-screen*

enscroll* enhance enhearten *All these are suggested outlines, not in dictionary (c) Not used medially for unin- or disin-:

uninhabited uninhabitable uninhibited

uninstructed uninherited* disinherited* *Suggested outlines, not in dictionary

(d) Not used with ST or SK:

install instil instant inscape insculp

Top of page

5. IMM- INN- UNN- ILL- IRRMost such words come in pairs with related or opposite meanings, and the initial vowel is the only difference between their shapes, although they may occupy different positions in relation to the line. As the outlines need to remain unvocalised for speed purposes and their position may not always be clearly written, repeating or changing the stroke is the most reliable way to ensure the difference is always obvious. This is not done to reflect the longhand spelling or to suggest that the consonant is sounded twice, but merely to produce a distinctive pair: (a) imm- inn- unn- Repeat the stroke:

immaterial immature immaturity immeasurable

immedicable immitigable immethodical immaculate* *Pair: "maculate" = to spot

immemorable immemorial immensurable

immingle immiscible immigrate compare emigrate

immodest immobile immerge compare emerge

immoderate immortal immoral immorality

immutable immix immission

innumerable innavigable innocuous to distinguish from noxious which is very similar

innutritious innominate innervate compare enervate

unnecessary unneeded unnoticed unnatural

unknown unknowing unnegotiable unnerving Top of page

(b) ill- Change to downward Ell:

limited illimited limitable illimitable If that is not possible, repeat the stroke:

illegal illegible illegitimate illicit

illiterate illogical illiberal See Theory 14 L Forms/Negatives for fuller explanation and many more examples. Not paired: words that are not part of a pair do not need the stroke repeated or changed:

immense immensely immerse immersion

immune immunity imminent immolate immure

inn inner innards innocent innovate innuendo

illusion illusory illustration illustrious

ill illness ill-favoured ill-judged ill-informed * ill-mannered

*Using contraction

Exceptions: although not paired, repeating the stroke is clearer for these:

immediate* immediately* immediacy innate uninnate

*Contractions

unnumbered Only one stroke N, as the "num-" part is represented by the short form. Top of page

(c) irr- Change Ray to Ar, as you would normally do when a vowel precedes the R sound:

relevant irrelevant If that is not possible or convenient, add an Ar before the Ray. Note that the first vowel is written before the Ar, and the following vowel is written after the Ray:

radiate irradiate If the outline already uses Ar, then add another Ar to the beginning. Again, the vowel signs sit outside the two Ar strokes:

remediable irremediable The following outlines look similar, using both Ar and Ray:

air-raid air-rifle arrowroot orrery arrearage (arrears) See R Forms page/Prefix Irr for fuller explanation and many more examples. Top of page

6. INTER- INTRO(a) Inter always uses doubled Em and can be vocalised, as per normal doubling rules:

interpret interplay interfere interferometer

interpolate interview intervene interval

interchangeable interweave intertwine compare intwine entwine

intercept intersect intercede intercessor

interlace interlock interlink interlingual

interlining interlunar interlinear Note: lunar linear

international interzonal interbreed intersperse

intercity interact interdependence interrelationship

These do not repeat the R in the next syllable: interregnum interrogate interrupt Dis a following M (lack of angle between strokes of different lengths) or upward L (to avoid an awkward ):

intermittent intermarry intermix

intermediate intermediary intermingle

intermural intermezzo

interleave interloper interlude

intercommunicate intercom Note: interim has separate strokes, as the central vowel is somewhat slurred, and the alternative would be dising.

Note: interior inter* internal intern internee interminable interest**

* = bury, accent on 2nd syllable

**Contraction

Top of page

(b) Intro uses either doubling or full strokes, whichever is convenient to :

 Doubled N with no dot I vocalisation. This is an exceptional use of 

doubling because there is no vowel between the T and R. It therefore counts as a special unvocalised prefix, like magna-. Stroke N + TR with both vowels, where necessary to obtain a good .

introvert introversion introit introrse

introspection introduce introductory introduction * *Contraction Note these pairs:

intermit intromit intermission intromission

intercession introcession

*interject

interjection introject introjection

*Lack of the dot vowel sign is the only difference with these 2 pairs. As vowels are normally omitted, more distinction is needed. A non-theory suggestion would be to add the dash vowel sign for long "O" before the Jay for the intro- words (thus keeping the dictionary outlines) or using N + TR instead of doubled N (resulting in a non-dictionary outline). The latter may be faster as there are no pen lifts to slow down.

Using doubling for both inter and intro relies on the fact that, apart from the two pairs above, they are mutually exclusive, thus avoiding clashes. As new words arise with these prefixes, consistently using N + TR for "intro-" would be the most reliable way of ensuring that clashes never occur – this is not quite so fast as a doubled stroke, but reliability is more important. Intra always uses N + TR:

intramural intravenous intramuscular Top of page

7. SELF-

SELF-CON-

(a) Self used as a prefix is shown by a circle in 2nd place against the stroke:

 Write the circle first, then the strokes of the outline, so that you are   

writing in the same order as the syllables are spoken, and to avoid any backward movement of the pen. With normal words, the outline is written in 2nd position, to accord with the vowel in "self", but short forms and contractions retain their original position. The self circle is never omitted. Not used medially or finally for the word "self".

self-defence self-evident self-reliant self-esteem self-imposed self-seeker

self-service self-determination self-explanatory self-help self-same Do not be tempted write the outline in 1st or 3rd position just because of the vowel in the main part of the outline:

self-righteous self-accusation self-satisfied self-sacrifice self-taught selfpropelled

self-pity self-discipline self-willed self-hood self-invited Keep a short form or contraction in its rightful position. Most contractions are in 2nd position anyway:

self-important/importance self-neglect self-improvement self-build selfschooled

self-instruction self-satisfaction self-subjection self-respect self-valuation

self-sufficient self-interest self-governing self-ment In a fully vocalised outline, if the 2nd place on the stroke is occupied by a vowel sign, then place the circle just outside the vowel sign. Most of the time you will not be vocalising outlines and can place the circle right next to the stroke:

self-opinionated self-employed self-sown If you have already completed the outline, and then decide you need to go back and insert the 2nd place vowel, placing it outside the self circle will still be readable, even though it is not the perfect textbook version. Top of page

(b) Self-con Write circle at the head of the stroke, to replace the con dot. The outline remains in 2nd position, as "self" still provides the first vowel of the word:

self-control self-contained self-condemnation self-confident self-conscious self-congratulation self-complacent (c) When the "self" is not a prefix, or is alone or in the middle or end of a continuous outline, it should be written in full; some are short forms:

self selves hers herself one's/once oneself *

*Contraction, as it omits the N

selfish/selfishness* unselfish/unselfishness* unselfconscious selfless do-ityourselfer *Contractions

non-self non-self-governing non-self-regarding – hyphenated outlines allow the second part to also be written in its own position, and to use the self-circle.

our ours ourself ourselves, your yours yourself yourselves

myself thyself itself himself themselves hisself * theirself* theirselves* *Met with in vernacular or lax speech only but grammatically incorrect in academic – a desire to make them match the possessive in my/her/yourself etc, coupled with easier pronunciation. See http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hisself for a discussion of this usage. Correction of the speaker's word-formation may not be appropriate in some circumstances.

The Circle S at the end of some of the short forms above is only expressing the S sound, and is not being used as a ed "self circle". An outline using the self circle prefix should not be phrased with the word before it. Going back to insert a circle would cause more delay and interruption to smooth flow of writing than is gained by phrasing. The circle is not used to represent the lone word "self" in phrases. The self circle cannot clash with intervening dot vowels against hooked strokes, as all of these are in first position. The rules are that a second place intervening dot vowel is never shown:

self-praise person perspex parallel paragraph palpable If you need to emphasise just the word "self" then write it in full so that you can put a wavy line under it:

He said self service, not health service! Top of page

8. TRANS(a) Written in full:

transaction transatlantic transatlantic* transcend transceiver transducer *Optional contraction

transferee transfuse transfix transfiguration transistor

transit transient translucent transition transform transform/transformed * *Optional contraction

(b) The N is omitted before certain strokes to achieve briefer outlines. As the N is lightly sounded, it can be omitted and the outlines remain readable: Before P and M:

transpose transpire transport transparent transplant transpacific

transmit transmitter transmission transmute transmogrify transoceanic

transhume transmigration also transnational but transept transom

To allow hooks: transfer transference transgress but transverse to distinguish from "transfers"

Stroke N and R hook both omitted in these: transcribe transcript transcription Before Ell:

translate translation translator retranslate transliterate transalpine Top of page

9. ANTI- ANTEThese are pronounced the same.

 anti = against, opposite  ante = before (a) Generally halved N:

antibiotic antibody anti-aircraft Antichrist anticlimax

anti-clockwise antedate antidote antigen antitoxin antipathy

antenatal antipodes antechamber anteroom antediluvian Use full strokes to enable s, or to obtain clearer outlines:

ante meridiem* antemeridian antimundane *Latin = before midday = a.m.; post meridiem = after midday = p.m.

antecedent antecessor anticipate anticyclone antihistamine

antisocial antirrhinum antithesis anti-semitic antimacassar

Not prefixes: antique antiquated antelope antenna anteater antimony Top of page

10. SUPER- SUPRAThe older pronunciation is the diphthong "syoo", but the plain vowel "soo" seems to be more prevalent. I am keeping to the latter in these pages as being the more up-to-date and quicker to write, although you are unlikely to need to insert that vowel sign:

super super

superabundance superannuate superannuation supernatural supernumerary

supercharger supercilious superficial superfluous superman superhuman

superimpose superlative supermarket supernova supersede

supersonic superstition superstitious superstructure supervene

supervise supervisor super-cooled super-tanker super-duper Supra Always insert the second vowel:

supranational supralunar supramundane supra-orbital

Note these not prefixes: superb superior supernal Top of page

11. DISStroke as normal:

disappear dispute display disprove disapprove distant district

dis discover discovery discoverer discount disclose disguise

disqualify disfigure dismay disintegrate dishonour disallow dislike

discourse disagree disgrace disgruntled discriminate discreet/discrete * *discreet = prudent, cautious; discrete = separate

Contractions:

disinterested disrespect disorganise/disorganised disorganisation displeasure disproportion With "diss-", as only one S is pronounced, only one S needs to be shown in the outline.

dissatisfied dissection disseminate dissent dissident dissolve

dissipate dissuade dissever dissemble dissociate dissociation disassociate ** *A less common version of dissociate

The following 3 outlines (and their derivatives) use the Ses circle for the two S's purely to provide distinguishing outlines (see Distinguishing Outlines List 2/disseize & disserve):

disseize disserve disservice Top of page

12. MISStroke as normal, but dised if necessary:

misprint mistrust mistreat misdeed mistake* misquote

miscreant misuse mis-shapen misread* mislead mishear with "reed"

misplace miscalculate misfit misfire

*omits the T

*past tense, rhyming

Dising also signifies a medial "con", but no clashes occur. If a clash arose, a non-theory suggestion would be to either insert the con dot, or make the "mis-" dis by using the shorthand hyphen sign, so that any suggestion of "con" is excluded.)

misconceive misconception miscompute misconduct misconjecture misconstrue

Contractions: misinform/misinformed misinformation misfortune For "miss-" (i.e. prefix mis + s) the Circle Ses is used to improve readability, and does not suggest that the two S's are pronounced separately. In such words the S sound is immediately followed by a consonant, and without the double S (both longhand and shorthand), one would tend to read the second part as beginning with that consonant e.g. mis+pend instead of mis+spend. This is the same reason why the longhand hyphen is there, to make it easier to read:

mis-spell mis-spend/mis-spent mis-state mis-stated mis-statement mis-cite The above does not apply to other miss- words that are not prefixes, such as "missing, mission." Note that diss- words do not need to use the large circle as above, because the prefix is always followed by a vowel. Top of page

13. FOR- FORE-

 For- means away, off, out, extremely, wrongly, and gives a negative or prohibitive meaning.

 Fore- means before, in front of, preceding, and refers to position in place, time or rank.

 The outlines use different vowels for these two prefixes, with the



advantage of providing additional distinction for these sets of outlines. Modern dictionaries seem not to differentiate the pronunciations of these 2 prefixes. Knowing the meanings of the prefixes is a great help in getting the spellings correct, although some of the words below may be encountered with variant spellings e.g. forfend is sometimes met with as "forefend". If you know what the words mean, keeping to the correct prefix for each meaning should keep your spelling of them on track and avoid the confusing variants that sometimes find their way into print.

(a) For- always uses a hooked FR, which may be reversed to make a good . The vowel is a first place light dash:

forbid forbear forfend forsake forsooth

forward* forswear forspent forgive forget

*Unlike the others, this one does mean

"fore/in front"

These two have full strokes, to attain more flowing outlines:

forlorn* forfeit** *More flowing outline than if the hooked FR were used forfend

**Possibly avoiding similarity to

(b) Fore- mostly uses full strokes Eff plus Ar or Ray; occasionally the hooked stroke FR to gain a good . Never uses the reversed FR. The vowel is a 2nd place heavy dash:

fore foremost foreman forewoman

foreleg foreordain forefront forecourt foreground

foreshore forecast forearm pinafore aforementioned

aforesaid forehand* aforehand* aforetime aforethought to distinguish

forebear forebode forefather forefinger

foreknow foreknown forename foreshadow

*These use Ar and Ray

foreclose foredate Note also: forehead pronounced "forrid" Hooked FR for good :

forestall foretell foresheet foreshorten

forewind forewarn forewarned before beforehand*

*Optional alternative

Top of page

Some for/fore pairs:

forgo (=do without/give up) forego (= precede/go before) foregone conclusion, forwent forewent

forjudge forejudge

"forjudge" = deprive by a judgement, expel from court, a legal term; "forejudge" = prejudge, judge beforehand. If you need to differentiate, then it is worthwhile learning both outlines. The version "forejudge" is probably the one most likely to be met in normal non-legal speech.

forgather foregather – both mean "come together, assemble." The shorthand dictionary provides outlines for both versions, but the first version is the one that matches the derivation and meaning. Presumably the two ways of writing of "gather" provide additional differentiation. Most of the "for-" words have the accent on the second syllable, so the hooked form is more appropriate. With "fore-" most are accented on the first syllable, making full strokes more appropriate. This helps to show where the accent lies, and so improves legibility, as well as providing additional distinction between the above pairs. Top of page

14. NONWritten as per normal theory – N + N Hook when it can be ed (but occasionally dised), otherwise strokes N + N:

non-acceptance non-cumulative non-existence non-existent

non-residence non-resident non-resistance non-linear

non-appearance* non-payment nonplussed non-feasance *Note how the first vowel of "appearance" is written to the N stroke, similarly with other outlines below

non-specific non-stop non-starter non-binding

non-attendance nondescript non-addictive non-effective

nonchalance non-essential non-sequitur

nonsense nonentity non-intervention

non-smoker non-working non-alcoholic

non-observance* non-obedience *Dised, rather than N + N as in "nonobedience", possibly to avoid an overlong outline.

Short forms or contractions remain in their correct position:

non-performance non-delivery non-production non-productive

efficient/efficientlyefficiency non-efficient/ly/cy* inefficient/ly/cy An affix is a grammatical addition, attached to one end of a word, in order to expand or change its meaning:

 At the beginning it is called a prefix.  At the end it is called suffix. The suffixes on this page are written within the basic rules:

 All the consonants and vowels of the suffix are written in the outline.  The suffix is only dised when a is not possible.  These suffixes are vocalised as normal, even if dised. SUFFIXES 1. -ing -ings -ingly

Stroke Ing where possible, and always medially. Otherwise dot at end of stroke for -ing, dash for -ings, finally only. -ingly dised if necessary.

2. -ly

Stroke Ell or L Hook or just add dot vowel.

3. -able -ably

Hooked BL. Strokes Bee + Ell where the hooked BL cannot .

4. -est -ist

Stee Loop. Occasionally halved Ess, down or upwards.

5. -ess

Stroke Ess, to denote female version of a noun, where required for differentiation. Otherwise use Circle S. Stroke Ess preferred in some names.

6. -ism

Circle S + Em. -nism has the Circle inside the En curve. Occasionally Zee + Em.

7. -less

Only dised where necessary. Not vocalised if dised.

8. -ness

Add the whole syllable even if the original word already ends in N. "-lessness" is a contracted suffix, see Theory 20 page.

-1. -ing -ings -ingly

 The default is stroke Ing, used where it can be written clearly. It only 





represents the sound of NG and so it needs the vowel sign when vocalising the outline. Add Circle S as normal. The second method is a dot at the end point of the stroke, used where stroke Ing would be unclear, awkward or impossible to write. A dash, written at right angles to the end of the stroke, is used for the plural "ings". It is written with a forwards (not backwards) movement wherever possible. Vertical dashes are written downwards. The dot and dash represent the whole syllable (like the Con Dot does) so they are deemed to include the I vowel. This means that a vowel that comes immediately before the "-ing" is shown plain as normal, and does not become a diphone or triphone. Stroke Ing is preferable to dot Ing. As the dot involves a pen lift and careful positioning, it is slightly slower than using the stroke.

Stroke Ing is used where it makes a good – generally after full-length thick strokes or making a good angle:

buying rubbing assembling adding dying considering

reading raging changing managing aching keying

making seeking liking drinking

cutting scattering concreting concluding hiking

sagging struggling staffing flying floating flattering

earthing frothing saying seeing icing assessing

easing showing ushering earning concerning discerning

cashing dashing rushing aiming mowing swimming

framing hammering knowing noting honouring

sunning sauntering ending sending needing

laying relying selling letting lettering

feeling ruling sorting breathing waiting heating yachting

penning painting pondering complaining combining binding

training tending tendering dining chaining chanting ing

engendering canning counting countering craning

reclining grinning grounding fanning finding

refunding convening inventing preventing

thinning meaning minding meandering

testing contrasting dusting suggesting everlasting ing

captioning petitioning partitioning conditioning auditioning

auctioning sectioning vacationing motioning Add Circle S:

paintings readings findings lettings endings meanings Top of page

Dot Ing is used: (a) after Pee Tee Chay and downward Hay, to avoid changing from thin to thick without a clear angle. Dot Ing is deemed to include the I vowel of the suffix:

paying stopping supplying splitting spraying plotting completing

sweeping sleeping repeating hoping shopping shipping

mapping napping/knapping dropping equipping developing

eating tying* treating uttering tutoring staying* stowing* stating *Only the plain vowel sign is needed, and not a diphone.

batting blotting bottling pottering getting jetting

existing insisting hesitating frustrating fretting reinstating

itching chewing*see note above chatting stitching patching pitching despatching fetching

attaching stretching catching clutching sketching scratching matching

leaching unlatching watching searching twitching hieing * hoeing* hewing* *see note above

In compound words where the outlines are ed together, dot Ing is never used medially and is replaced by stroke Ing:

watering watering-place watering-pot dripping dripping-pan

sleeping sleeping-sickness grappling grappling-iron

eating eating-house whipping whipping-cream whipping-post If the compound word is written with two outlines, then the dot can remain, as it is still at the end of its own part of the outline:

potting-shed sleeping-draught staying-power battering-ram If there is a Circle S before the -ing, then Pee Tee and Chay can use stroke Ing, as the circle does the same job as a sharp angle, providing a clear transition between the two strokes:

posing placing teasing choosing purchasing traipsing compare tripping Top of page

(b) Dot Ing is used after Ar and reversed FR VR FL VL, to avoid an insufficient angle and a change of curve direction within the outline:

airing pouring/poring* tiring storing wearing hearing freeing** fretting *you pour a drink, you pore over a book

**No diphone, see asterisked note above

covering hovering grovelling riffling ravelling (c) Halving a stroke means that it can no longer take the stroke Ing and so has to use the dot instead, in order to avoid ing strokes of unequal lengths without a sharp angle:

buying bedding braying breeding blowing bleeding

aiding doubting drying dreading jawing jading feeling fielding

mooing meeting madding motoring roaming remitting

perming permitting promoting prompting plumbing plummeting (d) Dot Ing is used where stroke Ing cannot be written well or at all: – After Stee and Ster loops:

posting boasting costing gusting fasting investing frosting

thirsting assisting listing misting resting wasting hosting

plastering blistering clustering sequestering fostering flustering

mastering istering westering rostering bolstering upholstering

– After some instances of N Hook, V Hook or Shun where Ing is not easy or possible to :

raining surrendering reserving learning turning rafting winning wanting

wandering weaving yawning yearning leaning landing laundering

shining shunning shunting enshrining freshening harshening

caving craving archiving crafting grieving engraving grafting

cautioning occasioning apportioning rationing stationing

fashioning envisioning functioning malfunctioning sanctioning

positioning propositioning requisitioning – After straight strokes with the NS circle:

pouncing prancing dispensing recompensing bouncing bronzing tensing entrancing

distancing instancing dancing condensing chancing glancing ensconcing sequencing

referencing conferencing experiencing rinsing wincing enhancing – After LD and Ard:

balding scalding scolding gilding folding scaffolding

yielding heralding moulding upholding beholding withholding

hoarding herding warding birding boarding fording affording

cording/chording carding discarding stewarding retarding Dot Ing is not used if the "ing" is not a suffix:

ping spring ting string compare shopping spraying teeing straying In names, stroke Ing is often used in preference to Dot Ing, as long as a minimal angle can be achieved:

Kettering Hutchings Harding Tooting Tring Ching

Compare catering etchings herding tooting uttering itching

But the following use the dot/dash:

Epping Wapping Yalding Spalding Fielding Hastings Top of page

Dash Ings is used for the plural of those outlines that already use Dot Ing:

plottings trappings cravings itchings leanings landings rantings

windings postings blusterings listings hustings meetings mutterings This cannot clash with an intervening third place vowel, which is struck through the end of the stroke:

whirlpool compare ripplings couplings samplings The original outline is generally not altered to accommodate one or other of the "ing" suffixes, it will just use whichever suffix method is best suited:

cleansing cleaning summonsing summoning "cleansing" "summonsing" and similar words do not expand the hook into a stroke En to permit ing a stroke Ing, but they retain their form and use

the dot. This is because there is a choice of methods, unlike when forming other derivatives and attachments e.g. glancingly. An outline may change to permit the ing of -ingly (as well as some of the other prefixes) because there is no choice of method to represent that particular suffix, see below. The following outlines change the direction of Ell in order to achieve similar motion of the curves, under the rules for using stroke Ell (similar motion and vowel indication) and not because of the "ing" suffix:

lose/loose* losing/loosing, lease leasing, ail ailing but oil oiling to retain the ed diphthong *lose (Z sound) = to suffer loss or defeat; loose (S zound) = untighten, slack

The following use proximity, under the "con/com" rules, as a quick way of representing the word "come" and produces a more distinctive outline than if Dot Ing were used:

becoming welcoming incoming overcoming Top of page

-ing after short forms and contractions (a) Short forms mostly follow the above rules, and only the stroke Ing is vocalised:

speaking spiriting peopling surprising balancing trading wording

chairing cheering having pleasuring wishing schooling

calling equalling caring going* guarding *See asterisked note below

nearing influencing owning handing Short forms do not use stroke Ing where the outline does not contain the consonants that immediately precede the "ing" sound, even though stroke Ing might well. The examples below fall into this category, and they take Dot Ing instead. The purpose is to preserve the readability of the outline and avoid ambiguity – if stroke Ing were used in these cases, one might try to read the Ing immediately after the consonant stroke before it, which would lead to errors in reading back e.g. "aching" instead of "coming, and nonsense words like "misging" "inscring" "thang":

coming comings giving misgivings inscribing thanking thinking

subjecting ing* numbering* doctoring delivering remarking *These two use the dot for clarity, rather than absence of preceding consonants in the outline.

Note especially the pair: going* giving *As the short form "go" is deemed to include the O vowel, only the I dot is needed against the stroke Ing, when vocalising

With the outlines for "pleasuring" and "influencing", the consonants written are those immediately before the ing, therefore adding stroke Ing presents no problems. The opposite is the case with "giving" where the V is not shown

in the outline, and if you just added a stroke Ing, you might read it as some other word or think that you have written "going" out of position. These short forms already represent the "ing" syllable:

building according during owing (b) Contractions mostly use Dot Ing, for the same reason as with short forms above, i.e. to keep them looking like contractions (the following is not a complete list):

acknowledging advertising amalgamating arbitrating cross-examining discharging

informing interesting organising publishing representing Stroke Ing is only used where the contraction ends in its own stroke Ing or a Circle S:

distinguishing extinguishing relinquishing

familiarising characterising, notwithstanding already includes the "ing" syllable. Top of page

-ingly This is always represented by strokes Ing + Ell, as Dot Ing is never used medially:

longingly strikingly fleetingly knowing showingly

feelingly ponderingly sorrowingly lovingly troublingly The original outline may change to avoid having to dis the suffix (this is different from the above rule where outlines do not change to accommodate an "-ing" suffix):

sparing sparingly staring staringly boring boringly

boasting boastingly glancing glancingly

wondering wonderingly lasting lastingly* according** but accordingly **Short form *This particular ing of Ing is tolerated, as it is better than a dis

Dised in other outlines that use Dot Ing:

hesitatingly frustratingly frettingly splutteringly

grovellingly doubtingly fetchingly but note unerringly Top of page

2. -ly Up or downward Ell, as per normal Ell rules (see Theory 14 L forms page):

happily rapidly badly truly sadly loudly richly

hugely strangely likely keenly secondly consequently

goodly grandly stubbornly roundly safely lovely

earthly monthly seemly madly promptly

fairly freely slowly lately politely wetly hotly

icily easily visually rarely thoroughly

only commonly nearly nicely honestly nightly soundly

immensely falsely strongly completely fitly vividly chiefly Top of page

An N Hook may change to stroke En to enable the Ell to be ed:

open openly plain plainly prince princely

tense tensely dense densely sudden suddenly

man manly woman womanly attentively

human humanly* humane humanely* *need the second vowel inserting, as both outlines now occupy 3rd position

Dis if necessary, uward Ell. When dised, the Ell represents the whole suffix including the vowel, so no dot vowel is necessary:

finely evenly vainly heavenly* slovenly*

*Distinguishing pair

sternly tenderly compliantly flippantly blindly

competently constantly instantly distantly confidently prudently

obediently persistently reluctantly vehemently

faintly fondly friendly fervently

tly urgently diligently negligently

But gentle gently genteel genteelly Use L Hook where convenient:

deeply cheaply meekly biweekly (weekly)

blankly frankly thickly bleakly

briefly bravely impressively positively creatively roughly gruffly

But darkly briskly quickly likely sleekly If there is already an L Hooked stroke, just add the vowel sign:

ably possibly tickly incredibly enjoyably irritably unavoidably

locally politically critically medically nominally originally

hopefully pitifully powerfully fearfully beautifully delightfully doubtfully

Where the root word already ends in a stroke Ell, there are several ways of representing -ly: changing to upward Ell, or just adding the dot vowel, and a few outlines add an additional upward Ell – see L Forms/3. Vowel Indication/ (b) Finally for further explanation and examples. Contractions with "-ly" Most contractions have the "-ly included in the set of words that the basic outline represents, although a dised unvocalised Ell could be added as well if it was felt necessary for clarity:

Already included: especial/especially financial/financially efficient/efficiently/efficiency Be aware that some speakers omit the "-ly" in more lax speech e.g. "He worked very efficient." If it is not appropriate to correct the grammar, you should use the wavy underline as a reminder for when you are transcribing. Add stroke Ell to these contractions:

regularly* irregularly* peculiarly* arbitrarily characteristically *The dictionary gives no dot vowel after the Ell for these three, but all others take the dot.

immediately objectively, identically just adds the dot, defective but defectively in full A dised Ell written to any contraction or short form would be perfectly readable, to prevent hesitation when writing at speed, with the intention of consulting the dictionary or textbook later on. Contractions are dealt with full in the Contractions section. Top of page

3. -able -ably Generally hooked BL. An Ar may change to Ray to reflect the vowel that comes after, as well as to prevent the outline descending too far. Add the dot vowel for "-ably":

adore adorable adorably bearable irable operable

tolerable acceptable inimitable recyclable* despicable dictionary.

flammable manageable changeable honourable reliable

disagreeable valuable voluble amiable measurable

*suggested outline, not in

presentable preventable negotiable appreciable pitiable

insatiable unsociable justifiable certifiable identifiable

unconscionable sanctionable (sanction) friable enviable

predictably preferably undeniably amicably

These exceptions keep the Ar: curable incurable securable procurable. This may possibly be to prevent a clash e.g. carriable.

Full strokes Bee + Ell, if the hooked BL cannot be ed. Add the dot vowel for "-ably":

countable able unable lamentable

rent rentable actionable impressionable

fashionable fissionable adjustable detestable

contestable contrastable surmountable but insurmountable mountable

unmentionable remarkable/remarkably* but probable/probably/probability* already includes the suffix *Contractions After short forms:

believable buildable deliverable but giveable/givable speakable unspeakable Top of page

4. -est -ist (a) Stee Loop wherever possible:

bare barest tightest saddest blackest biggest safest iciest

rashest merriest airiest warmest soonest lowest

fewest pianist violinist behaviourist specialist economist

Add to short forms: largest greatest* nearest but very veriest

*Alternative

short form

(a) Halved Ess: Where Stee Loop cannot be written, use a halved Ess. In a few instances this has to be written upwards and is the only instance of a stroke being written directly upwards. This is no problem, as, being half size, it is similar to writing the upward-travelling part of a Ses circle or Shun Hook. In some sets of words, the endings -er -est -ish can look very similar if not carefully written:

abolitionist contortionist demolitionist exclusionist * exhibitionist *The halved Ess is the first up/downstroke and so that is the one resting on the line, despite being last stroke of the outline.

receptionist perfectionist reconstructionist illusionist positivist

conservationist preservationist revisionist creationist

impressionist expressionist expansionist nutritionist

plainest earnest sternest toughest kindest grandest hardest shortest*

*Using

short form

"Highest" is a derivative of "high" so keeps the downward Hay:

high highest compare heist, newest to distinguish from next* The suffix "-sist -sest" is written as follows wherever possible:

*Short form

pharmacist publicist biblicist romanticist aerodynamicist

choicer choicest closest closish* crossest grossest coarsest *Consider inserting vowel before Ish

fiercest hoarser hoarsest horsy horsiest loosest wisest

scarcer scarcest false falsest consist consistent

spice spicier spicy spiciest raciest

sauce sauced saucer saucier sauciest saucy

In the above, the Circle S provides a clear, fast and easy transition between the strokes. The examples below using Ess and Stee Loop make forming derivatives easier:

classicist* racist** empiricist exorcist* historicist *See derivatives below **Suggested outline, not in dictionary, but based on the other examples in this line

physicist phoneticist geneticist lyricist fantasist romancist

dense densest nicer nicest incest but incestuous See also Theory 4 Circles/Ses for words like "exist insist accessed processed" where it is not a suffix. Top of page

5. -ess This suffix denotes the female version of a noun. In the following, stroke Ess is used (rather than Circle S) so that it does not look like a plural of the root word, and also makes it clear that there is an extra syllable:

heirs heiress heiresses manageress countess Jewess

princess deaconess vicaress prophetess murderess archeress The following examples have a clear difference between the plural and the female versions, so do not need to use the stroke Ess:

stewards stewardess shepherds shepherdess authors authoress

barons baroness* emperors empress lions lioness

*Compare with barrenness

governors* governess** mayors mayoress adulterers adulteress *Using contraction

**In full with R Hook on the Vee, not using contraction

hunters huntress hosts hostess caterers cateress

priests priestess sculptors sculptress tempters temptress

enchanters enchantress giants giantess seducers seductress

masters mistress seamsters seamstress songsters songstress

abbots abbess dukes duchess A few outlines have the same outline for both the plural and the female version, after a hooked stroke and where there is no extra syllable added. In these you should consider inserting the last vowel:

actress benefactress tigress waitress

actors benefactors tigers waiters I have avoided calling the root words the "male" version as they are commonly used to cover either or both, as many of the "-ess" variants are falling out of use or becoming more narrowed in their meaning. A few other words use stroke Ess to give clearer outlines:

Mrs/missis/missus to distinguish from Misses, Moses, Jesus compare Jews Top of page

6. -ism Circle S + Em wherever it can :

escapism tropism cubism snobbism malapropism

absenteeism truism altruism autism conservatism

egotism faddism hybridism neologism

catechism monarchism anarchism

emotionalism idealism realism capitalism

surrealism pluralism materialism nationalism

vandalism optimism euphemism extremism

legalism heroism naturism barbarism

secularism cynicism classicism racism* exorcism

*Suggested outline, not in

dictionary

criticism scepticism solecism ostracism

witticism narcissism stoicism

dogmatism schematism patriotism favouritism These cannot show the I vowel of -ism as there is nowhere for it to go, due to the halving. The following have to make an awkward change of curve direction, something avoided wherever possible. The circle is written in the direction it would take if the two strokes were straight ones i.e. outside the angle that they would make. Do not write a circle going back on itself, another ungainly movement which is restricted to a few instances of Hay (Theory 12 page) within an outline, and slightly less awkwardly in words like disagree (Theory 18 page) to indicate an R Hook:

pacifism alcoholism colonialism racialism aphorism Where Circle S + Em is not convenient or possible, strokes Zee + Em are used (generally after hooks):

mechanism organism paganism modernism humanism

determinism sectarianism Wesleyanism authoritarianism

impressionism perfectionism divisionism revolutionism

Compare the above with ransom lonesome* where the S is written inside the N Hook, there being no vowel after the N. This formation is not used for "nism". *More examples on Theory N F V Hooks page Top of page

En + S + Em – The Circle S is written inside the En:

anachronism communism chauvinism

galvanism journalism* religionism

*Alternative contraction

Puritanism creationism (creation) Compare the above with compound words, where the Circle S is written inside the curve it belongs to, thus reflecting where the syllable breaks:

N-SM: non-smoker unsmiling unseam unseemly

unsymptomatic unsympathetic* noisome** handsome *Retains first position of the contraction

**noy/annoy+some, not derived from "noise"

unsmart unsummoned pianissimo

NS-M: Norseman newsman newsmonger nursemaid

MS-N: misname misnomer enormousness venomousness -ism can be added to a contraction:

commercialism reformism republicanism* subjectivism

*Choice of contractions

magnetism enthusiasm need no suffix. Top of page

7. -less Ell + Circle S, as per normal rules:

priceless hopeless regardless rainless countless groundless

landless relentless talentless childless* wordless*

*Using short forms

stainless senseless scentless soundless Dis if necessary, in which case it might be prudent to insert the E vowel, to prevent it looking like "-lessness" (on Theory 20 Suffixes Contracted page) which is always dised and never vocalised:

friendless frontless ambitionless but motionless The outline may change from hook or loop to full strokes, to enable the Ell to be ed:

painless brainless moonless roofless waveless

pointless dauntless boundless mindless If the original outline uses Stee Loop, it may omit the lightly sounded T to enable the Ell to be ed:

restless rustless trustless listless but costless to distinguish from causeless Add the whole suffix, even if the outline already ends in a stroke Ell – pronunciation generally reflects the two L sounds:

*soulless skill-less nail-less vowel-less *See also L Forms/3. Vowel Indication/(b) Finally for further explanation and examples.

Top of page

8. -ness En + Circle S, as per normal theory:

happiness business rightness richness rigidness

slowness willingness wilderness tenderness

airiness laziness weariness looseness (loose)

Add to short forms and contractions: shortness coldness dearness togetherness Add the whole suffix even if there is already a stroke En or N Hook at the end of the original word:

openness plainness rottenness cleanness suddenness

outspokenness thinness sternness evenness meanness

barrenness stubbornness foreignness modernness

roundness goldenness* alienness frozenness brazenness

*Using short form

wantonness commonness uncommonness uncertainness

In the names Guinness McGuinness it is not a suffix, so only one stroke En is needed The final hook or loop may need to change to full stroke to allow the En to be ed:

lean leanness sullenness sereneness but slenderness to retain the doubling

moist moistness august augustness fast fastness vastness

Dis if necessary (lack of angle, generally after halved stroke):

aptness ineptness corruptness abruptness completeness badness

tightness straightness indebtedness deadness promptness tiredness largeness* *Using short form

There is no special suffix for -liness, just add "-ness" to the existing outline:

brotherliness chilliness cleanliness costliness

cowardliness disorderliness earliness surliness

wholeness oiliness silliness steeliness lowliness loneliness

liveliness manliness womanliness neighbourliness

unsightliness timeliness unseemliness worldliness Sometimes the -ly is dised out of necessity, making it look like a special dised suffix, which it is not:

friendliness gentlemanliness heavenliness but slovenliness*

*See asterisked

note above

An affix is a grammatical addition, attached to one end of a word, in order to expand or change its meaning:

 At the beginning it is called a prefix.  At the end it is called suffix. Contracted suffixes:

      

Leave out some of the consonants Are dised, apart from "-ward" etc and some "-ship" words Are not vocalised, except for the U diphthong in "-uality." Any third place vowel that comes before a contracted suffix is written to the preceding stroke. The placement of dised strokes is much easier when no vowels are being written in. A vowel before a contracted suffix sometimes has no stroke that it can be written to and so it is disregarded in those instances. Such vowels are underlined in the longhand throughout this page. Some of the suffixes are whole words in their own right, and the dised suffix can often be used in advanced phrases to represent those words – "fullness mental mentality ship shipment logical ability". Such phrases are not recommended for those still learning the system,

likely to produce more hesitation than speed. These phrases will be included in a future Phrasing page. CONTRACTED SUFFIX 9. -lessness -lousness

Dised Ell + Circle S.

10. -fulness

Eff + Ell, or the hooked stroke FL. Dised Eff + Circle S for -fulness.

11. -ment -mental -mentally -mentality

-ment occasionally omits M and uses just halved En i.e. -ent. Dis "mnt" for -mental/ly/ity.

12. -ship

ed or dised Ish. In full where clearer.

13. -ward -wart -wort -yard

Halved Way, Halved Yay, omitting the R. No need to dis. Ocasionally using stroke Ard

14. -logical -logically

Dised Jay.

15. -lity -rity & similar

Dis the stroke before the ending. In full where clearer or where necessary.

9. -lessness -lousness Dised Ell + Circle S, never vocalised:

defencelessness homelessness hopelessness powerlessness recklessness

ruthlessness tirelessness uselessness weightlessness carelessness * short form

*Using

callousness perilousness parlousness garrulousness

ridiculousness tremulousness incredulousness meticulousness

populousness scrupulousness fabulousness querulousness * *Can also be pronounced with a long "oo" vowel instead of the U diphthong.

miraculousness frivolousness in full because the L is in the hook. The original direction of Ell is irrelevant for "-lessness", as there is no to affect the choice:

effortless effortlessness endless endlessness sunless sunlessness As the "-lessness" suffix is never vocalised, it need never clash with a "-less" that has had to be dised. If necessary, you can put the vowel in "-less" as it is not a contracted suffix:

friendless friendlessness

Neither textbooks nor dictionary has any mention of the plural "-lessnesses" but it would be logical to change the Circle S of the suffix to a Ses Circle. Top of page

10. -fulness Dised Eff + Circle S, never vocalised. The suffix is tucked under the main outline, but the placement may vary slightly so that the pen does not travel too far or awkwardly before beginning the Eff stroke:

artfulness hurtfulness bashfulness bountifulness deceitfulness eventfulness

faithfulness fearfulness fancifulness forgetfulness frightfulness fruitfulness

gracefulness gratefulness healthfulness helpfulness hopefulness

harmfulness joyfulness lawfulness painfulness meaningfulness * *Suggested outline, not in dictionary

peacefulness playfulness plentifulness spitefulness lawfulness tactfulness * *Suggested outline, not in dictionary

resourcefulness skilfulness usefulness fitfulness hatefulness

watchfulness wastefulness thoughtfulness* youthfulness *All variations with "thought" should be vocalised, to distinguish from "thank" see thankfulness below

Add to short form or contraction:

carefulness cheerfulness thankfulness truthfulness disrespectfulness but wonderfulness* *This outline does not use the short form, therefore stroke Way is vocalised

In full: fullness awfulness

The dised suffix is not used in beautifulness delightfulness doubtfulness as that would make a longer and less recognisable outline. Also distinguishing outline dutifulness. See also L Forms/3. Vowel Indication/(b) Finally for more on "-ful -fully" Top of page

11. -ment & -mental -mentally -mentality (a) -ment is written as per normal rules wherever it can . As such it does not count as a contracted suffix and so is vocalised:

payment oddment ointment argument garment easement assessment

arrangement raiment disbursement moment movement

apartment compartment lament annulment amusement* amazement* *All variations of these two should always have the second vowel inserted.

Where the "-ment" cannot , the outline or the suffix may change to enable a . A dis is not possible for "-ment" because that it used for "mental" etc:

amending amendment assorting assortment bereave bereavement A preceding N Hook may be omitted to allow the suffix to , and such outlines are then generally classed as Contractions:

abandonment appointment enlightenment entertainment assignment

atone atoning atonement* atonement/attainment* contentment compare torment * Choice of outlines for "atonement", either in full or contraction. Keep the halved En short so it does not look like "atoning". As "atonement" and "attainment" share the same contracted outline, a non-dictionary suggestion would be to insert the O vowel for atonement, being the less common word.

Where a final "-ment" cannot satisfactorily, the M sound is omitted and only "-ent" is written. This is necessary because a dised "mnt" is allocated to "mental/ly/ity". This counts as a contracted suffix and is therefore is not vocalised; any third place vowel coming before the suffix must be written against the previous stroke. There is never any need to dis the -nt:

postponement enchantment refinement confinement arraignment

achievement pavement approvement deferment preferment merriment

resentment consignment commandment ascertainment monument

effacement defacement commencement announcement pronouncement

denouncement enhancement (enhance) imprisonment

accompaniment advancement tenement alignment enlistment

discernment to distinguish from discerning Take care that the halved En does not resemble an Ing, which would have a similar meaning in some cases e.g. "the postponement of the interview" or "the postponing of the interview". Top of page

(b) -mental -mentally -mentality The suffix -mnt is dised to represent all these three, and is never vocalised. As they are separate parts of speech (adjective, adverb and noun)

they are unlikely to clash in meaning. The text lines below show only the first of the three endings, for the sake of simplicity:

compartmental departmental detrimental developmental instrumental monumental

governmental* regimental segmental sacramental documental

*Using

contraction

environmental* argumental* fragmental* incremental judgemental/judgmental *Suggested outlines, not in dictionary

sentimental supplemental temperamental fundamental (fundament) These are written in full, adding the dot vowel for "-ly":

mental mentally aliment alimental element elemental

ornament ornamental uses Ray so that the Em can . The lone word "mentality" is written with dised Tee, see "-ality" section below. -mentalism -mentalist and similar expansions of the suffix are written in full:

experiment experimental/experimentally/experimentality experimentist experimented

experimentalism experimentalist experimenter

mentalism* mentalist* fundamentalist

*Suggested outlines, not in dictionary

environmentalist environmentalism sentimentalist Top of page

12. -ship (a) Generally a ed or dised Ish, unvocalised. Circle S can be added as normal:

airmanship chairmanship championship draughtsmanship craftsmanship

horsemanship marksmanship workmanship statesmanship

sportsmanship penmanship one-up-manship seamanship * *The 3rd place vowel stays with the Ess, as this is a compound word.

senatorship companionship traineeship* citizenship *Note the 3rd place vowel is written to the En, and not the Ish

friendship friendships township townships guardianship governorship * *Alternative contraction

kingship ownership partnership entrepreneurship * *Shorthand dictionary gives this with French pronunciation, but it is shown here anglicised "ontre". As it is a very common word nowadays, a non-dictionary suggestion would be to use a doubled En for that part.

relationship interrelationship* sponsorship censorship *It is helpful to exaggerate the slight angle between the doubled En and the Ray. Top of page

Dised, with the Ish written downwards:

readership leadership ladyship scholarship rulership chancellorship

apprenticeship discipleship kinship courtship hip doctorship

editorship* managership ambassadorship directorship* *choice of pronunciations *See Distinguishing Outlines List 1 "auditor" for further on this.

proprietorship inspectorship collectorship

dealership controllership receivership premiership authorship

dictatorship spectatorship hardship stewardship midship midshipman

lordship* trusteeship tutorship chaplainship compare chaplainc *Choice of short form or contraction

These are clearer in full and are vocalised as normal:

fellowship worship apostleship If a speaker made up a similar word ending in the syllable "-ish", you would need to put in the vowel to show that the stroke Ish is being used as normal and not as the "-ship" suffix:

salesmanship showmanship salesman-ish showman-ish (b) "ship" (=boat) used as a noun or verb in a compound word is ed, as per normal rules:

airship/heirship storeship starship steamship

flagship longship warship reship unship If it cannot be ed, rather than dis the whole of "ship", it copies the suffix by using an unvocalised dised Ish:

troopship fireship lightship spaceship battleship

Note: tranship* transhipment transship* transshipment shipment

*Same

meanings Top of page

13. -ward -wart -wort -yard These are written with a halved Way or Yay, omitting the R:

upward onward outward inward backward downward awkward reward Note rewarded

stalwart lungwort mugwort moonwort thwart athwart

backyard coalyard graveyard lanyard shipyard steelyard vineyard When halved Way does not make a good , use Ard, or Ray halved, with medial W sign; this is vocalised, as it does not count as a contracted suffix:

eastward seaward landward windward heavenward Way halved may also be used for "-wood" in names, and this is also vocalised:

Norwood Northwood Brentwood Linwood Harwood Kingswood

Hayward Edward using the contracted suffix, and Heywood/Haywood with all full strokes for extra differentiation; Rosewood for extra legibility after the circle S. In phrases, halved Way and Yay can replace short forms "word" "would" "yard" if the short forms do not easily :

these words, every word, they would, we would, 500 yards, several yards Apart from these contracted suffixes, the only other instances of longhand letter R being omitted in outlines are in worsted (woollen material) and Worcester. All other words spelled with letter R must show it in the outline, even though its pronunciation is often slurred or absent in many English accents.

Top of page

14. -logical -logically Dised Jay. The text lines below show only the first of the two endings, for the sake of simplicity:

analogical archaeological biological philological physiological

cosmological etymological entomological eschatological genealogical

geological chronological horological ideological meteorological * *The Jay could go further up, for the sake of lineality, when this outline is not being vocalised

mineralogical* ornithological pathological pharmacological *One of the older New Era dictionaries (1950's) gives the Jay tucked underneath the En, but this version (from the 1974 dictionary) is preferable.

psychological sociological bacteriological* seismological* *Suggested outline, not in dictionary

technological terminological theological zoological tautological

logical logically -logy -logist and -loger are written in full, as per normal rules:

biology geology meteorology neurology technology physiology

biologist geologist geologer chronologer mythologer See below for logicality Top of page

15. -lity -rity

 Both these suffixes are indicated by dising the stroke that comes before.

 The first vowel of the suffix varies:   

-ality -ility -elity -olity -lty -alty -elty -eality -iality -ualty -uality -arity -erity -ority The dised stroke stands for itself plus any of the above variations i.e. the suffix itself is not actually written. The dised stroke is not vocalised, except for diphthong U in -uality. In a few instances the dised stroke has an R Hook (liberality neutrality)

Where possible, the vowel immediately before the dised stroke is written against the previous stroke, even if it is a 3rd place vowel. Where this vowel cannot be written in (because the preceding consonant is a circle or hook, so there is nowhere to place it) the vowel sign is omitted:

profitability = profita B ility

but compressibility = compress (i) B ility

profitable compressible The unwritable vowel is underlined throughout this page: The dised stroke takes no vowel sign, except the U diphthong. The vowel after the U is deemed to be part of the suffix and so is not shown by the usual tick on the diphthong:

eventuality = even TU ality intellectuality punctuality The L or R of "-lity -rity etc" is not shown in the outline, it is only inferred by dising the stroke before. If there is a dised Ell or Ray, it is because that is a separate sound that precedes the suffix e.g:

popularity iralty popu L arity - dis the Ell, and the R in -arity is not written. i R alty - dis the Ray, and the L in -alty is not written. The examples below are listed based on the stroke that is being dised, rather than the exact ending itself: Pee

principality municipality prosperity Bee

acceptability issibility availability comprehensibility flexibility

attainability adaptability possibility* impossibility imponderability *Alternative contraction

credibility desirability durability expansibility feasibility

fusibility immutability inability inconvertibility inevitability

stability instability visibility invisibility irritability

mobility nobility portability predictability capability reliability

sociability (but sociable) suitability verbality liberality barbarity Top of page

Tee Dee

ductility gentility hostility hospitality mentality* suffix

mortality neutrality utility versatility volatility*

*see above for when used as a

*The 1974 shorthand dictionary gives the outline entirely in full strokes, but an earlier 1950's New Era dictionary gives it as above, which is preferable. No clash is apparent that would call for using full strokes.

fidelity infidelity feudality solidarity

posterity dexterity* Note: dextral dextrality**

*manual skilfulness **right-

handedness

Jay

fragility vagility majority A dised Jay also represents "-logical -logically", but as the above words are the only examples found, this presents no problem. Kay Gay

comicality rascality practicality technicality

logicality* illogicality* criticality* musicality* paradoxicality* *Suggested outlines, not in dictionary

prodigality frugality regality vulgarity Vee

conviviality frivolity joviality novelty servility Ish Zhee

sensuality casualty Top of page

Em En

formality normality* abnormality* *Choice of contraction or full outline

carnality geniality congeniality originality

juvenility finality minority* Ell

*Choice of pronunciations

polarity bipolarity popularity similarity insularity*

*Choice of contraction or full

outline

angularity granularity singularity jocularity

regularity irregularity Note contractions: peculiar/peculiarity familiar/familiarity Ray

plurality severalty ephemerality* ethereality* *Suggested outlines, not in dictionary

generality* unreality iralty mayoralty

*Not using short form, therefore

vocalised Top of page

Written in full: The suffix is written in full if that produces a better outline, or if the above contracted suffix cannot be written: (a) in short words where there is only one stroke before the suffix, i.e. the stroke has nothing that it can be dised from:

ability agility jollity cruelty reality celerity

frailty sterility actuality duality humility

modality polity loyalty royalty sociality

senility sonority (b) where the consonant that would be dised is represented by something other than a stroke, i.e. there is no stroke to dis:

Circle: causality docility facility sincerity imbecility

R Hook: scurrility morality Note: moral L Hook:

clarity circularity equality* *Alternative using short form

faculty verticality classicality topicality

civility penalty personality tonality veniality

artificiality essentiality partiality impartiality potentiality

provinciality speciality specialty substantiality superficiality In the above examples, note that -ciality & -tiality omit the diphone IA, leaving the Shel stroke unvocalised. This avoids striking the diphone sign through the Ish in a very awkward corner where there is not really room for it. The outlines are perfectly readable without it.

Shun Hook: rationality nationality conventionality constitutionality * *This is normal dising out of necessity, not a special suffix.

Halving: austerity fertility spirituality*

*Using short form

Top of page

(c) where the word is easier or clearer written in full:

accessibility asperity centrality compatibility incompatibility

cordiality incivility lineality rurality

puerility triviality tranquillity/tranquility sorority temerity (d) Avoided in some distinguishing outline pairs:

disparity disability, juniority geniality, futurity futility

locality legality, corporeality corporeity (e) Not used for similar-looking adjectives, where it is not a suffix:

faulty guilty malty salty silty (f) The contracted suffix is never used for -urity -ulity -iority. This seems to be mainly because all the existing words happen to fall into the above categories for writing in full:

purity impurity security insecurity

maturity immaturity credulity incredulity sedulity

obscurity* garrulity priority

*Choice of full outline or contraction

superiority inferiority seniority priority

SHORT FORMS Strokes: P B T D Logogram

Short Form

Derivatives/related/similar words

put

putting (present participle of put), putt, putting (present participle of putt)

special specially specialise specialist

speak speaking speaker spoke spoken

principle principal principally principled principality people

peopling peopled

surprise surprises surprising surprisingly surprised

particular particularly particularity particle

opportunity opportunist opportunism inopportune

spirit

spiriting spirited spiritual spirit-level "spiritual" and its derivatives sit on the line rather than placing the Ell stroke through the line, in order to keep the short form part in its correct position

be being become becoming became bee

to be to become, Toby subject subjected

subjecting subject-matter (=noun; if used as separate words in a phrase, the main short form would be used)

subjective subjectively subjectivity* subjectivism* subjectiveness

*These two are Optional Contractions

subjection

liberty liberate liberated libertine member e d

hip ing remembrance dismember

number numbered numbering numberless

belief believe believed believing believer believable believingly behalf been

Can use N hook in some cases, e.g. had been

has-been (noun), had been, have been, may have been

balance balancing balanced balance-sheet

build building buildable build-up

it its it's itself

truth

truthful truthfulness

tried trying trier trial toward trade

trading trader tradesman trade-union trades-union towards

tell telling teller tell (=hill)

till

until till (=cash or work the soil) (It is incorrect to put an apostrophe before the logogram till, it is a word in its own right and not a contraction of until)

told toll tolled

circumstanc e circumstances circumstantial not to be confused with the contraction: substantial-ly

satisfaction satisfy satisfactory satisfactorily

instructive instructively instructiveness instruction

instruct instructor instructional

had hadn't

do doing done doer

diferent diference diferently difer diferential diferentiate

Dr doctor doctoring doctorate doctrine

dear dearer dearest dearly dearness deer

during durable duration endure enduring

deliver delivered delivery delivering deliverer deliverable

deliverance

advantage advantaged advantageous advantageously advantageousness

difficult difficulty

Strokes: Chay J K Gay Logogram

Short Form

Derivatives/related/similar words Include the stroke m in phrases

much

muchness muchly, too much

which

whichever whichsoever witch wych-elm wych-hazel

chair chairing chairman chairmen chairmanship chaired

cheer cheering cheerer cheerful cheerfully cheerfulness cheery cheerio cheered

child childhood childish childlike children (Childlike is the dictionary outline, but is difficult to write well, and you may prefer to write it dised)

large largest largeness largesse

larger

largely

general generally generalship generality generalissimo

generalisatio n generalise

justification justify justifiable justice

gentleman gentlemanly gentlewoman

gentlemen gentlewomen

can can (=vessel)

cannot can't cant (=hypocritical talk)

come coming come-back newcomer

because cause 'cos (the wavy line alerts you to an unusual word or usage) care

caring carefree careful carefully careless cared

accord -ing accordingly accordance accordant

call calling caller caul

called so-called

equal equalling equalise equaliser equality

cold equalled coldly colder coldest cold-frame

school schooling schoolmaster schoolboy schooled

quite quiet

could could not couldn't

inscribe inscribed inscribing inscriber

inscription inscriptive Vocalise in phrases go going gone go-kart, to go

give given giving giver forgive signify signified significant

signifying significantly

significance significancy signification

guard guarding guarded guardian

great greater greatest x2 greatly greatness grate grateful (There is a choice of 2 outlines for greatest)

gold golden goldmine gild gilded gilder

Short Forms Intro – List 1 – List 2 – List 3 – List 4

Strokes: F V Ith Thee Logogram Short Form

Derivatives/related/similar words

for forasmuch four/fore

from therefrom wherefrom (the Em is included so that the hooked Eff does not look like "ever" Use V hook in phrases where convenient have having haven't, which have, who have

several severally sever severalty severance severe

over overcome overeat

however howsoever

valuation value valued valuer

very very well, verily veriest

thank thanked

thanking thankful thankfully thankfulness thankless thanklessness thoughtless thoughtlessness

think thinking thinkable thinker unthinking unthinkable third

thirding thirdly third-rate third-class

though although them

themselve s

Same as the phrase "this is"

those thyself

this

thus thusly these

there their theirs/there is, their own within

southern southerner southernmost southerly southmost that

without

therefore

therefor

Therefore means "for that reason" Therefor is an archaic way of saying "for it" or "for that"

Short Forms Intro – List 1 – List 2 – List 3 – List 4

Strokes: Circles Zee Ish Zhee M N L Ar Ray Way Vowels Logogram Short Form Derivatives/related/similar words Write anti-clockwise from the top as has Use large circle for: as is, as his, as has Write anti-clockwise from the top is his

Use large circle for: is as, is his Write anti-clockwise from the top

first first-aid first-class first-hand firstly firstling first-rate Use Way and circle S in phrases where convenient was that was

whose whosesoever (In actual speech, "whosesoever" would sound no different from "whosoever" and you need to make a grammatical decision on which one was meant) shall shalt shall not, shan't

wish wishing wisher wishful wishbone wishy-washy wished selfish -ness selfishly selfless selflessness

sure surely sureness surest surety shore shaw (Note: shore/shaw – R is always shown in shorthand regardless of local pronunciation)

short shortly shorter shortest shortage shorthand short-handed usual usually

pleasure pleasured pleasurable

me methinks methought myself my own self Vocalise in phrases him hymn, for him himself

most mostly more remark remarked Moorish moreish remarking remarkable re-mark (=mark again) Use this for both meanings of mere i.e. only and a lake Mr mere

merely, merest, mister, Messrs (Use Mr short form when a name follows, use mister when it is a free standing word)

important importance importantly import imported improve improved improveme nt

improving improver improvise

impossible impossibly impossibility

in any anybody anyhow anyone anything inn Vocalise in phrases; can use N hook in phrases where convenient own owning owned owner ownerless, in his own influence influencing influential influentially influenced next

nor gnaw (R is always shown in shorthand regardless of local pronunciation) near nearing neared nearest nearly nearby nearness nearer opinion opinionated opine opining northern north northward northerly northerner northernmost

information inform/informed informing informer informative

hand handing handful handed handiwork Handley under understand undertake undergo underhand sent language owing languish languid thing young younger youngest youngster youngish youngling Upstroke for the short form and L generally, but there are exceptions for other uses of L lord lordly lordling lording lordship x2 Lord's (there is a choice of 2 outlines for "lordship")

your

yours yourself yourselves yore yaw (Note: yore/yaw – R is always shown in shorthand regardless of local pronunciation (yore means time long past, yaw means to turn on a vertical axis)

year yearly yearling yearlong yearbook

yard yardstick yardage Use Way halved in phrases where convenient word wording wordily wordy worded catchword, these words Can use R hook in some phrases: are they are our hour

ours/hours

ourselves ourself This is stroke Ray using the doubling principle outside of the normal rules. Using Hook N for "rather than" is also an exception to the normal order of reading attachments. rather writer write writing written

we wee whether weather/wether (=sheep)

wonderful wonderfully

wonder wondering wondrous wondrously wander SHORT FORMS DERIVED FROM VOWEL MARKS:

a an ah! the eh? aye

In older books, the dots are shown light, with a heavy dot for "ah!" In older books, the dots are shown light, with a heavy dot for "eh? aye" Aye rhymes with pay and is an archaic word for "always", such as in the phrase "for ever and aye." It can be spelt ay.

I/eye eyes eyesight aye-aye (=an animal) aye

Aye rhymes with eye and is a dialectal or archaic word for "yes". It is commonly used in spoken voting (ayes and noes), and as an affirmative by seamen "Aye aye, Captain". It can be spelt ay. This is generally given as a short form, but it does seem to be a complete outline in itself, just like "I" or "eye", as nothing is missing Use V hook in phrases where convenient

of number of, couple of Can use halving in some phrases

to together, today/to do/to-do (=a fuss), able to

all altogether all-round all-in all-important always awl (in "awl" this is the vowel signed ed, not the short form) too two

too much, two-fold two-seater Use N hook in phrases where convenient

on onwards on-coming onset on-cost onlooker, to carry on

but butt butte O oh! owe he

owed owes Not free-standing, use only in phrases, medially and finally, otherwise use downward stroke Hay

the

Up or down tick ed to end of preceding outline. Not freestanding, use only in phrases, medially and finally, but not initially, otherwise use dot the. It has no position of its own, therefore line not shown. Tends to have a slightly shallower angle when written upwards, to maintain speed and flow.

thee Upstroke and

should

rock-n-roll Upstroke

shouldn't should've shoed/shooed Downstroke awe ought aught awed awing awful awfully awesome awe-struck Downstroke

who whoever whoso whosoever whom whomsoever Hoo (note: whom etc have tick Hay, not the who short form)

how howsoever, Howe/how (=low hill), howitzer, Howard ("howsoever" is a contraction in 2nd position)

with withstand withdraw withhold withal

when

whenever whensoever whence whencesoever (In actual speech, "whensoever" would sound no different from "whencesoever" and you need to make a grammatical decision on which one was meant.)

what whatever whatsoever what-not Watt wot (=archaic for "knew")

Use Way halved in phrases where convenient would would-be (adjective), they would be, wouldn't wood wooed

beyond yon yonder Can be rotated when ing in a phrase you you'll ewe/yew, are you why Wye wight white Short Forms Intro – List 1 – List 2 – List 3 – List 4

Amendments 16 July 2013: Several discrepancies have been found in the largest 1974 red dictionary, in comparison with the dictionaries produced before and after it, and so the outlines here have been corrected (see also Contractions Optional page)

1. Using first 2 or 3 consonants only

Related words

/d/ment advertising

advert advertent adverted r

capable capably capableness capability

certificate

character characterful

characterise characterising

characterisation Choice of 2 contractions

characteristic characteristically

certify certified certification certificated

commercial/commercially commercialism

commerce commercialise

substantial/substantially insubstantial/insubstantially unsubstantial/unsubstantially

substance substantiate substantiality substantive

Advisable to insert the first vowel in the last two outlines. A nondictionary alternative would be to write "insubstantial/ly" through the line.

cross-examine/cross-examined/ cross-examination cross-examining (i.e. "crossegsamine")

description

exam examine examining

examination examiner

descriptions* describe Top of page

*It is possible that the plural is not a contraction because it would be similar to "discourse". See descriptive on Contractions Optional page

subscribe/subscribed

subscript subscriber

subscribing

These also omit the R.

subscription

See also superscribe/d/superscription on Contractions Optional page

These cannot reverse the circle S to indicate an R, unlike description, as the angle is too sharp for a circle to be written clearly.

unsubscribe/unsubscribed Suggested outline, not in dictionary

difficulty

discharge/discharged

difficult (Short form)

discharger

discharging dischargeable undischarged

electric Note plural "electrics" has full outline electrical

electrics electrician electrify electrified

electrically electricity electrification electrocute* electrocution* *Note U diphthong is turned on its side when attached, but not when unattached See electron electronic on

Contractions Optional page

enthusiasm/enthusiastic enthusiastically

enthuse enthused enthusiast enthusiastical

special/specially especial/especially

esquire

establish/established/establishment establishing establishmentarian

disestablish/disestablished/

squire

establisher

disestablishment re-establish/re-established/ re-establishment* *This one is exceptional, as the stroke for "re-" generally goes through the line. See exchanger on Contractions Optional page exchange/exchanged exchanging exchangeable exchangeability

expediency

expedience expedite expedition

inexpediency

expedient expediently Top of page

See expeditiously on Contractions Optional page

expenditure expend expendable expended

expensive expensively inexpensive

expense* expenses expensiveness *consider inserting the 2nd vowel, to give greater distinction from "expenditure"

familiar/familiarity familiarly unfamiliar/unfamiliarity

familiarise familiarising familiarisation

family familial

January

February

Jan

Feb

financial/financially finance finance* financing

financed financier *Pronunciation of the first vowel of all these varies

govern/governed governing government

governance governorate governess See governor, and covenant which is similar, on Contractions Optional page

governmental governable governability

misgovern/misgoverned ungovernable

immediate

immediacy mediate medium

immediately

imperturbable imperturbably imperturbability

imperturbation perturb

incorporated

incorporate* incorporate**

reincorporated

incorporating *verb **adjective, last vowel is short

incorporation reincorporate Top of page Inc./ink

independent/independently/indepe independable (= not to be ndence depended upon) NOTE: The 1974 large dictionary shows the second vowel sign against the underside of the halved ND stroke; this is an error as that would signify that the vowel comes between the N and D.

indispensable/indispensably

dispense dispensation dispensable

individual/individually individualise individualistic

individuality individualism indivisible

inform/informed informing informer

informant informative informal

misinform/misinformed information misinformation (short forms)

inspect/inspected/inspection inspecting

inspector inspectorate See inspector-general on

reinspect/reinspected/reinspection

Contractions Optional page

respect/respected

respecter

respecting respective

respectively respectable respectability

respectful respectfully respectfulness

disrespect/disrespected irrespective

irrespectively

expect/expected expecting

expectant expectance expectancy

unexpected

expectorant* *Medical term, different meaning from all the others Top of page

See expectation on Contractions Optional page

imperfect/imperfectly/imperfection imperfectness

perfect perfectly perfection

architect/architecture/architectural

architected architectonic See architective on Contractions Optional page

objector objectless object/objected objecting objection objectionable

objective objectively* objectivity objectivism *As stroke Ell s well, there is no need to use the hooked VL stroke.

prospect prospective

prospected prospection prospector

prospectively prospectus

retro retrospect retrospection retrospective retrospectively

suspect*/suspected suspecting unsuspected unsuspecting

suspect* suspecter suspectable suspicion See suspicious on Contractions Optional page

*verb only, accent on 2nd syllable susPECT

*Noun only, accent on first syllable SUSpect

project/projected projecting unprojected

projector projecture projectile* projectile* *Pronunciations vary

projective projectively projet* *French

Top of page

See projection on Contractions Optional page

neglect/neglected

neglecter

neglecting

neglectful

neglectfully

prejudice/prejudiced/prejudicial/pre judicially prejudicing

prejudication prejudge prejudged

unprejudiced

insurance reinsurance

insure insured insurer

reinsure insurant insurants* *Pronunciation is identical to "insurance", but here the short T sound is a meaningful part of the word

investment

invest investing investor invested

disinvestment reinvestment

reinvest investiture

irresponsible/irresponsibility

irresponsibly irresponsibilities

Note plural "irresponsibilities" has full outline See Theory Prefixes 18 page for all the magnet words magnetic/magnetism magnetically

manufacture/manufactured

manufactory

manufacturing manufacturer

math maths mathematic

mathematical/mathematically mathematician mathematics

maximum

The above are easy to differentiate from the contractions when unvocalised, as these are all in first position

max/macs/Mac's maximal

maximise maximisation

mechanical/mechanically mechanic mechanism

mechanisation mechanician Top of page

metropolitan

mortgage/mortgaged mortgaging

metropolis

mortgager mortgagor

remortgage/remortgaged*

mortgagee

*Suggested outline, not in dictionary

never Same outline as "November" evermore (Using short form) nevermore (Using short form)

November Same outline as "never"

organise/organised organises organising

Nov

organism organisable

organisation organic organist

organisational organiser reorganise/reorganised

inorganisation* unorganised* disorganise/disorganised *These two should not clash as they are different parts of speech. But if someone should say "unorganisation" then you would definitely need to insert the first vowel sign.

peculiar/peculiarity peculiarly

peculiarise

perform/performed performing performance

preform

performer performable unperformed

non-performance

reform/reformed reforming reformer reformism

reformist re-form See reformation on Contractions Optional page

perpendicular perpendicularly

practice/practise/practised practising unpractised

perpendicularity

practical practically practicality

impractical practiser* practician

practicable practicably

*Spelled with S, as it is derived from the verb. See practitioner on Contractions Optional page

practicability

impracticable practice = noun; practise/d/ing = verb

preliminary

prelim prelims

preliminaries

Ensure clearly written through the line, and vocalisation would help as well.

preliminarily

probable/probably/probability

prob probs

improbable/improbably/improbabilit Colloquial for "probably" y "probabilities" "problems"

proportion/proportioned

proportional proportionally

proportioning misproportion/misproportioned proportionable proportionment Top of page

proportionate/proportionately disproportionate/disproportionately

public/publish/published

pub publicity publicise

publishing publicly publicist public-house publicrelations

publishable

See publican on Contractions Optional page

publication publisher

republish/republished Same outline as "republic" unpublished unpublishable

republic Same outline as "republish/ed" republican republicanise

republicanism Choice of 2 contractions

recoverable irrecoverable/irrecoverably

unrecoverable/unrecoverably non-recoverable/non-recoverably*

recover recoverer recovery

re-cover

*Suggested outline, not in dictionary

regular

regularity regularise

regularly regulation regulate regulator

irregular irregularly

represent/represented

irregularity

representing

rep re-present re-presentation

representative

representation representational

misrepresent/misrepresented unrepresented unrepresentative

responsible/responsibility Note plural "responsibilities" has full outline. Where "responsibility" might be misread as "response", it is safer to use a full outline instead of the contraction.

responsibly responsibilities

response* respond responded *Consider vocalising, to distinguish from the contraction "responsibility".

responsive responsively

Top of page

sensible/sensibly/sensibility insensible/insensibly/insensibility

sense sensation sensitive senseless

unanimous/unanimously/unanimity

uniform/uniformly/uniformity uniformed Suggested outline, not in dictionary. An optional method for showing past tense of contractions is to be strike a

short dash through the last stroke.

howsoever

how* so ever

*Short form

whereinsoever

wherein* so ever *Using short form for "in"

wheresoever

where so ever

whithersoever whither so ever

yesterday yester yesternight yesteryear

deficient/deficiently/deficiency

deficit

efficient/efficiently/efficiency inefficient/inefficiently/inefficiency

efficaceous efficacy

non-efficient/non-efficiently/nonefficiency* *Outline is above the line, see nonefficiency on Prefixes page.

sufficient/sufficiently/sufficiency

suffice sufficed sufficit*

insufficient/insufficiently/insufficienc *Suggested outline, not in y dictionary. Latin for "it is enough, it suffices", but sometimes the English is used instead, which is pronounced the same e.g. "suffice it to say ... ".

proficient/proficiently/proficiency

distinguish/distinguished distinguishing distinguishable

distinguisher distinct indistinct distinction The hard G and K sounds are omitted from these outlines

indistinguishable

undistinguished

extinguish/extinguished extinguishing

extinguisher extinguishment extinct extinction

extinguishable

The hard G and K sounds are omitted from these outlines

inextinguishable unextinguishable Necessary to insert the first vowel in the above two outlines.

relinquish/relinquished (i.e. "reling") relinquishing (i.e. "relinging") relinquishment

Top of page 2. Omitting a medial consonant or syllable

destruction destructive

destructor destructible destroy destroying

destructively destructiveness

introduction reintroduction

introduce introductory introductive

jurisdiction

jurisdictive

jurisdictional

See jurisprudence on Contractions Optional page

obstruct obstructed obstructer obstruction obstructive obstructively

produce produced producer production productive productively productivity

produce product Above two words both have accent on first syllable

productiveness unproductive non-productive

reproduction

See Distinguishing Outlines List 3 for producer/purchaser/predecess or

reproduce repro

reproductive reproductively

perspective perspex perspicuous perspicaceous

abandonment

appointment

abandon abandoned abandoning abandoner

appoint appointing appointed

disappointment reappointment appointee appointer disappoint

assignment reassignment

assign assigned asg reassign

assigner assignor assignee assignation

attainment/atonement

See Theory 20 Suffixes for further explanation on attainment/atonement Atonement is also on Contractions Optional page

contentment content/contend contented contents/contends Top of page

See discontentment on Contractions Optional page

contingent contingence contingency

stringency

stringent astringent See astringency on Contractions Optional page

emerge emerging emergence emergency

emergent emerged compare agency which would be less legible if it were contracted. See also urgency on Contractions Optional page

exigency

exigent exigently

danger dangers dangerous* dangerously *Stroke Ess is used to differentiate this outline from "dangers"

dangerousness endanger endangered

enlightenment

enlighten enlightened

enlightening enlightener

entertainment

entertain entertaining entertainer

identical identically

identity ID idea

ironmonger

iron

ironmongery

See ironmaster ironmould on Contractions Optional page

messenger message Messager* Messenger*

Top of page

*Suggested outlines, not in dictionary – full outlines, as F forms/contractions are not generally used for names.

one self oneself

enger

age

stranger strange strangely strangest estrange

henceforward

hence forward* *the R is omitted for "-ward" under normal rules See henceforth on Contractions Optional page

thenceforward

thence forward*

*the R is omitted for "-ward" under normal rules See thenceforth on Contractions Optional page

manuscript script scripted

ministry

minister ministering ministerial

ministration ministered* ministrant* *These two also omit the R

monster monsters monstrous monstrously monstrosity

demonstrate demonstrating demonstrated

demonstration demonstrator demonstrative demonstratively These also omit the R

remonstrate remonstrating remonstrated remonstration

remonstrative remonstrator remonstrance

remonstrant This also omits the R

ship

ister istering isterial

istratrix

istered istrate* istration *Insert the last vowel, to distinguish from "istered"

istrable istrative istratively The 6 outlines above also omit the R

Top of page

See Distinguishing Outlines List 2 for enjoyable/knowledgeable knowledge knowledgeable knowledgeably knowledgeability* *Suggested outline, not in dictionary

acknowledge acknowledged acknowledging

acknowledger acknowledgement

amalgamate amalgamating

amalgam

amalgamated

amalgamation amalgamator

arbitrary arbitrarily arbitrate

arbiter arbitrable arbitral See arbitrament on Contractions Optional page

arbitrating

arbitrated arbitration arbitrator arbitratrix

bankruptcy bankrupt bankrupting

bankrupted

defective defect defectively defectiveness defection Top of page

Pronunciation of "defect" could also be "dee-"

Here the hard G is omitted "ing-Gland": Inglis

England Englander English un-English

Englishism Englishman Englishwoman*

See also England/Netherlands in Distinguishing Outlines List 2

Englishwomen* *A non-dictionary suggestion might be to include the W semicircle within the outline, like washerwoman, this would be faster, seeing as the vowel sign is necessary for differentiation.

executive

execs* execute execution**

executrix

*Best vocalised, to differentiate from "executrix"

executor executorship

**The shun hook is facing away from the circle, for balance, rather than away from the preceding vowel. Note U diphthong is turned on its side when attached, but not when unattached

executory executorial

investigation investigate investigator

investigative These also omit the T

identification

identify identified identifying

inconsiderate inconsiderately

inconsideration inconsiderable unconsidered

considerate consideration considering reconsider

Top of page

falsification falsify false falsely falsehood

influential/influentially

influence* Compare with initial initially *Short form See intelligencer intelligential intelligibility on Contractions Optional page

intelligence intelligent/intelligently unintelligent/unintelligently intelligentsia

intelligible/intelligibly unintelligible/unintelligibly

legislature

legislate legislation legislator

legislative

minimum

min minima minimise

minimal minimalist

negligence negligent negligible negligibility

parliamentary

parliament

unparliamentary

See parliamentarian on Contractions Optional page

questionable/questionably

quest questing request requested

questionableness unquestionable/unquestionably

See question and requesting on Contractions Optional page

removable unremovable See irremovable/irremovably below

removably remove removal remover

satisfactory satisfactorily unsatisfactory

satisfy satisfied satisfying dissatisfied satisfaction* *Short form

dissatisfactory

sympathetic unsympathetic

sympathy sympathise sympathiser

sympathetical sympathetically pathetic pathetically Top of page

telegram

telegraphic telegraph telegraphy telegraphically telex (=Teleprinter Exchange)

universe

uni varsity

university

universal/universally universality 3. Using short forms List is not exhaustive

anything nothing nothingness

any* no thing* every some *Short forms

everything something

remarkable/remarkably unremarkable/unremarkably

thankful/thankfully

remark/remarked* re-mark *Short form

thank/thanked*

*Short form

unthankful/unthankfully

together togetherness altogether

to* all* gather Compare with phrases to give* to go* *Short forms

whenever

whatsoever when* what* so

whensoever

ever

whatever

*Short forms

4. Intersected

denomination/denominational undenominational

denominate denominator*

non-denominational* *Suggested outline, not in dictionary; ensure to write the stroke Dee before denominationalism the final N-Shun stroke. *If you were using this word frequently, a non-dictionary suggestion might be to intersect a doubled stroke En i.e. de+nator

enlarge enlarged enlarging enlargement enlarger

large larger largely (short forms)

incandescence

incandesce incandescing

incandescent

inconvenient/inconveniently/inconve inconveniencing nience inconvenienced

irremovable/irremovably See removable above

misfortune

nevertheless

fortune

never* less

*Short form

notwithstanding Only thus when one word

withstand withstanding withstood

ratepayers ratepayer Possibly it was considered that the singular form, if intersected, would look too much like the shorthand full-stop which is written as a small cross.

unprincipled principled principle/principal/principally* Top of page

*Short form

5. Omitting first syllable(s)

circumstantial circumstantially

circumstantiate circumstantiality circumstance* *Short form Compare with substantial

contentment See contentment in

section 2 above contingency See contingency in section 2 above Here nothing is omitted, but Tee is written in full to make derivatives easier:

interest interested interesting

interestingly uninterested

disinterest* disinterested disinterestedness *Suggested contraction. This outline, according to the dictionary, is given as an alternative for

"disinterestedness" but as "disinterest" is now current, I suggest using the contraction for that word, and using the fuller outline for "disinterestedness". The outlines were obviously allocated before "disinterest" as a noun came into common usage. Top of page These should be in 2nd position on the line: horticulture/al, horticulturist, hypothecate/d, inauspicious, inauspiciously, indescribable/ly, jurisprudence, machinery, scornful, scornfully, significancy, unscriptural, vice-chairman.

abnormality

Alternative outline, not contraction

ad valorem

affidavit

agriculture/agricultural

agriculturist

Full outlines required for:

agriculturalist agricultor antagonism/antagonist/antagonistic

antitrinitarian

applicable

arbitrament*

archbishop

archbishopric

archiepiscopacy

architective*

aristocratic/aristocracy

astonish/astonished/astonishment

Safe for the noun "astonishment". Ensure the En is written clearly full length, to differentiate from "astound" (see Distinguishing Outlines List1)

astonishing

astonishingly

astringency*

atonement*

Contraction is the same as attainment (Theory 20 Suffixes page)

aurora borealis

auspicious

auspiciously

inauspicious

inauspiciously

bandstand

Alternative outline, not contraction

banknote

baptise/baptised/ Baptist/baptism

rebaptise/rebaptised/rebaptism

beforehand

Alternative outline, not contraction Using short form "hand"

benevolence/benevolent

benevolently

benignant/benignity

benignantly

bondsman

Compare with these full outlines:

bondman bondwoman bondmaid

brotherhood

burdensome

burdensomeness

overburdensome

Using short form "over"

businessman

Top of page

cabinet

Calvinism

captain

Write the contraction clearly through the line, so that it does not look like "busman" or "postman".

captainship

In the full outline, the Ish is dised so that it does not look like the suffix "-cy":

captaincy careful/carefully

This optional contraction is a suggestion, not in dictionary.

casual

Full outlines required for:

casually casuals (= a type of shoe) Catholic

Roman Catholic

charter-party

Chiltern Hundreds

chloroform

Pronunciation of the first vowel may vary

Christian/Christianity

clearing house

"Clearing" on its own has dot ing, as per normal rules

Cobdenism

controversy/controversial

The full outline for "ConTROversy" with the accent on the second syllable would be above the line with a first place dash vowel "Controversialist" is a full outline

co-religionist

cosmopolitanism

counterclaim

"Counter" on its own as per normal rules:

counter covenant*

Care needed with the Kay, keeping it thin, as these outlines are similar to govern and government

defendant

delinquency

delinquent

democracy/democratic

undemocratic

depreciate/depreciated

depreciatory

descriptive*

Full outline required for:

Top of page

descriptively dessertspoonful

Keep the Ray short, otherwise the contraction will look like "disrespectful"

development

The dictionary outline for the verb "develop" is in full only, but using the above contraction for that word presents no problem

dignify/dignified/dignity

Full outline required for:

indignity undignified

Compare indignant below

dilapidate/dilapidated/ dilapidation

discontentment*

See also contentment (Contractions Main page)

dissimilar

divergency

Pronunciation of the first vowel may vary: "dyve-" or "divv-

doctrine

doctrinaire

doctrinal

Pronunciation of the second vowel may vary: "doc-try-nal"

drunkenness

dyspepsia/dyspeptic Top of page

The full version of dyspepsia should always have the final diphone

written in, to differentiate from "dyspepsy" Full outline required for:

dyspepsy ecclesiastic/ecclesiastical/ ecclesiastically

"Ecclesiastes" (Bible book) is a full outline, but the contraction would be useful for noting Bible reference numbers

electron*

electronic*

embankment

enthronement/enthronement

Alternative outline, not contraction. The first version seems to be more reliable, as the second one is very similar to "enthroning" which has the same meaning:

enthroning episcopal/episcopalian/episcopalianism

Esperanto

evangelical

The pronunciation of the first syllable may vary: "eev-"

exchanger*

expectation*

expeditiously*

Full outline required for "expeditious"

extemporaneous

extemporaneously

extraordinary

extraordinarily

extravagance/extravagant /extravagantly

favourable/favorable

Full outline required for "unfavourably/unfavorably" Compare:

verbal verbally favourably/favorably

finality

Alternative outline, not contraction

foundation-stone

fugitive

fulgency

Pronunciation of the first vowel may vary - when rhyming with "full", write the dash through the end of the Eff and outline in 3rd position

generation

In phrasing, "J-Shun" can also be used to signify "objection"

degeneration

regeneration

ginger

governor*

vice-governor

governor-general* *Using short form

governorship

Top of page

grand-juror

Ensure the two Rays are long and clear, to prevent confusion with "grand-jury"

grand-jury

Advisable to insert the final dot

greatest

Using the short form "great"

habeas corpus

haphazard

"haphazardly" is a full outline, but using the contraction with a ed upward Ell would work just as well

harbinger

henceforth*

See henceforward (Contractions Main page)

thenceforth*

See thenceforward (Contractions Main page)

high-pressure

Top of page Some older dictionaries retain the I diphthong after the Hay on the contraction

horticulture/horticultural

Full outline required for:

horticultor horticulturist

hypothecate/hypothecated

The full outline for "hypothecate" does not use a halved Kay because the angle with the Ith would be insufficient for it to be clear

imperialism

See also Methodism which is similar

impregnable/impregnably

indefatigable/indefatigably

indescribable/indescribably

indignant/indignation

Compare undignified above

indignantly

indiscriminate

indiscriminately

indoctrinate

indoctrinated

indoctrination

inflationary

disinflationary

infinitesimal

inspector-general

Using short form "general". Full outline required for "inspector" (Contractions Main page)

insularity

Alternative outline, not contraction - dictionary is missing the initial dot on the first version

intelligencer*

intelligential*

intelligibility*

intemperance

ironmaster*

See also ironmonger (Contractions Main page)

ironmould*

Alternative outline, not contraction

journalism

journalist

journalistic

jurisprudence*

Top of page

Full outline required for "jurisprudent"

juxtaposition

Full outline required for "juxtapose"

lance-corporal

"Corporal" is the contracted part, therefore "lance" keeps its vowel sign

landmark

Alternative intersection, not contraction

life assurance

The intersection for "insurance" is En+Circle S

locomotive

longest

longitude

= measurement east/west from the Greenwich Meridian. Latitude is north-south measurement from the equator.

lordship

Combination of short form "lord" and contracted suffix "ship"

machinery

malignant/malignancy

Full outline required for:

malignantly man-of-war

Full vocalised outline for:

man-o'-war (suggested outline, not in dictionary) If using this, you should insert the dash vowel after the En for clarity

melancholy

Full outline required for:

melancholia merchantman

sergeant-major

Methodism

See also "imperialism" which is similar

microscopic

millionth

Not recommended, although given as above in the biggest dictionary. The stroke Em is used for "million" when written with numerals, and you cannot add an Ith because that is used for "thousand". This will be discussed in a future Phrasing page.

mineralogy

misdemeanour

motherhood

mother-of-pearl

mythology

neighbourhood/neighborhood

Keep the halved BR stroke short, so it does not look like "neighbour/neighbor"

nitrogen

non-commissioned officer

nonconformist

nonconformity

obnoxious (i.e. = ob+shus)

obnoxiously (i.e. = ob+shusly)

obscurity

observation

orthodox/orthodoxy

parallelogram

parliamentarian*

particularise

The short form "particular" is written above the line

particularised

particularising

particularism

The "particular" part matches the short form which is also written above the line

percent

Top of page

The contraction is written close to the preceding outline or numeral

philanthropic/philanthropy

philanthropist

phonographer

phonographic

The normal outline "phonic" is similar:

phonic phonography

plenipotentiary

possibility

practitioner*

preferential/preferentially

"Preference" uses N Hook/Circle S

Presbyterian/Presbyterianism

preservation

priesthood

The full outline omits the lightly-sounded T

Privy Council

Alternative intersection, not contraction

projection*

Top of page

Protestantism

Note the vowel sign for the "e" cannot be shown in the vocalised outline, as there is nowhere to place it

publican*

pungency

qualification

Compare "cultivation" which is similar:

cultivation quarter

Full outline required for:

quartering See also Vocabulary Numbers/quarter for a brief method when used with numbers

question*

Full outline required for:

questioning questioningly question-mark

Alternative intersection, not contraction You could also use the intersection with the contracted version of "question", but it might be easier (but not strict theory) to write the Em in proximity

quotation-marks

Alternative intersection, not contraction If the person says "quote marks" a non-theory suggestion would be to write Em in proximity to "quote"

recognizance The pronunciation can be either "recog-" or "recon-" and is related to the word recognise. The latter pronunciation is identical to "reconnaissance" below:

recognise reconnoitre reconnaissance recognizance = a legal obligation reconnoitre reconnaissance = carry out a preliminary geographical or military survey.

referring

reformation

See also reform (Contractions Main page)

registrar

religion

Alternative short form, not contraction

religious

Alternative short form, not contraction

religiously

Alternative short form, not contraction

repugnant/repugnance

repugnantly

requesting*

Top of page

resignation

resurrection

reverend The contraction is for "reverend" but the full outline also represents "reverent"

revivalism

Saviour/saviour

Compare:

saver scornful

scorn is written with Hook N

scornfully

scripture

Alternative short form, not contraction

scriptural

unscriptural

The contraction is shown incorrectly on the line in the 1974 dictionary

antiscriptural

search-party

Alternative intersection, not contraction

ship-builder

significancy

The contraction is shown incorrectly on the line in the 1974 dictionary

solicitor-general

Using short form "general"

stag-party

Alternative intersection, not contraction

stenographer

stenography

stepping-stone

"Stepping" on its own uses dot ing

stock-in-trade

Using short form "trade"

strongest

Alternative outline, not contraction - unlike "longest", the dictionary shows a vowel in both versions

stumbling-block

subjectivism

subjectivity

superscribe/superscribed

Compare subscribe/d on Contractions Main page

superscription

Compare subscription on Contractions Main page

surreptitious

surreptitiously

suspicious*

suspiciously

unsuspicious

unsuspiciously

Top of page

tabernacle

testatrix

third-party

Alternative intersection, not contraction

thumb-mark

Alternative intersection, not contraction

tidemark

Alternative intersection, not contraction

tinsmith

In the full outline, note the Circle S is inside the Em, as it belongs with that syllable.

town-council

townsman

In the full outline, note the Circle S is inside the En, as it belongs with that syllable.

trademark

Alternative intersection, not contraction Using short form "trade"

transatlantic

transform/transformed

transformation

Compare "transfer" which omits the N:

transfer transferrer transformer

transubstantiate/transubstantiation

The full outline also omits the N

transubstantiated

A Dee may be written to any contraction or short form if felt necessary to increase clarity, but this appears to be the only word where it is part of the dictionary outline. Other contractions are perfectly legible without it. Adding the Dee is not part of normal theory (unlike Pitman 2000 which does use it regularly).

tribunal

unconstitutional/unconstitutionally

under-secretary

Using short form "under"

unfortunate

Compare this with the optional contraction for "phenomena" below. The only way to differentiate is to write the Eff towards the end of the stroke En, to show it was written second. "Unfortunate" is a much more useful contraction, if you were going to choose only one of these two to adopt.

unfortunately

phenomena

This is the same as the optional contraction for "unfortunate" above. The only way to differentiate is to write the En more towards the right of the Eff, to show it was written second. See also inconvenient (Contractions Main page) which is similar

phenomenon

Union Jack

unionism

unionist

trades-unionism

Using short form "trade" Compare:

trade-union trades-union

trade-unionism union

unrealizable

urgency*

utilitarianism

vegetarian

vegetarianism

vice-chairman

vice versa

watermark

Alternative intersection, not contraction

way-mark

Alternative intersection, not contraction

The full outline uses the R hook rather than Ray, in order to achieve a better with the Way.

worthwhile

youngest

Using short form Top of page

Placenames: Antarctic

Birmingham

British version: omits the H sound US version: use Dot Hay Ensure you keep the two Ems, as in UK locals sometimes refer to their city as "Brum", from "Brummagem" the alternative name used in that area.

Great Britain

Using short form "great"

Jodrell Bank

Alternative intersection, not contraction (=Jodrell Bank Astrophysics Centre, UK)

Johannesburg

"Jo'burg" would be a full outline

San Francisco

The abbreviation " 'Cisco " would be just the last part of the full outline

Liverpool

Middlesex

New York

New York City

Transylvania

United Kingdom Use only when the words are spoken in full

United States

Use only when the words are spoken in full

United States of America

Use only when the words are spoken in full The full outline phrase omits "of"

The first outline goes in its correct position, and the others follow on:

it is, it is not, it was, it may be, it can have, it should be, it would not

of it, of them, of that, of her, of me/my, of our, of course

to do, to this, to have, to meet, to send, to stay, to reply

for this, for that, for you may, for many, for myself, for anyone

if we can, if they may, if you can, if you would, if no-one

and they, and this, and we, and I, and is/his/as/has, and there is/has, and be seen, and have done

should have, should be, should not be, should now, should there/their, should this, should we

on his, on which, on many, on your, on our, on those, on that, on their/there

but they, but we may, but must, but can we, but that, but that is, but this, but their/there

I have this, I had them, I do that, I shall be, I thank you, I think that you are, I know that we

you are, you would, you would be, you can/come, you go, you may, you should

we can, we have, we shall be, we do/had*, we may, we are *If necessary, you can indicate that it is "had" by inserting Dot Hay and the A vowel, see Phrasing 7/had not

he is/has, he is/has not, he was, he cannot be, he may have, he may be pleased, he is unable

she is, she was, she may have, any more, any time, in any case

they may be, they can be, they must, they thought we, they have, they do not, they just

this can have, this can be, this could not, this may*, this time, this does *This sharp change of direction only occurs in a few phrases; in normal outlines the circle goes outside the strokes, see Theory 19 Suffixes/pacifism Top of page

that it, that they, that this, that may, that has been, that is/has not, that is/has never

there are, there cannot, there can be, there was, there would have, there is, there is no-one

have his/as/us, have that, have they/them, have not, have never, have you been, have we seen

which is/has, which has been, which has not been, which we now, which cannot, which should have, which may have

had you, do you, had they/them, do they/them, had that, do that, had we been, do we know

how can they, how may we, how many, how long, how are

why it, why does, why they, why have we, whether it is/has, whether they, whether there are

who can, who gives, who was, who is/has, who would be, who must, who should have

with it, with which, with us/his, with them, with these, with thanks, with that, with whom

when it, when do/had you*, when they, when this, when that is/has, when have we, when we, when is/his/has *If necessary, you can indicate that it is "had" by inserting Dot Hay and the A vowel, see Phrasing 7/had not

what it, what is/has, what does, what was, what have we, what may, what can they, what would be

would have, would never, would not be, would say, would respond, would go, would the, would his

as/has it -- as it is/has -- is it -- as/has this -- is this -- as/has that -is/his that -- as they may

please take, please have, please do not, take place, taking place, taking away If the first outline of the phrase is normally written above the line, it is sometimes possible to raise or lower the entire phrase to enable the next word to also be in position, saving you having to insert extra vowel signs. However, the first outline should still be clearly in its correct position:

of those, of this, of these, in much, in which, in each, I talk, I take, I took You can do this even if there are more outlines in the phrase than shown above:

of those that have been, of this type of, of these who can, in much the same, in which you may, in each of them Some combinations would not be clear or even legible, so must be written separately:

and of -- and to -- and should -- we should -- should I -- I should As the second and subsequent words are generally out of position, a vowel sign may occasionally be necessary:

at any time, at no time See more on this in Phrasing 6/Essential Vowels/in any no

Top of page 2. Change of Form It is possible to extend the use of abbreviating devices such as hooks, halving, doubling, circle and loops, which may not be possible or advisable if each outline were written separately. The phrase in its entirety contains more information than a single word, so remains legible despite the greater degree of abbreviation:

I hope that you will be able to, in reply to your recent letter, you will have received

and I have been there, we have only just, take into consideration the fact Compare full outlines for these words:

hope will reply letter received

there only consideration fact Top of page (a) Hooks General Final hooks can represent whole words e.g. N for "on, own, been", F/V for "of, off, have", Shun for "association". R and L hooks can replace the full stroke to achieve a more compact outline or to enable a good . Occasionally an original hook is omitted to enable the phrase to be formed.

Retain hook: yours truly, take care, in this way

Omit hook: it has been required, in this direction, vice chairman There are only a small number of phrases that omit the hook Reintroduce hook Sometimes a merged hook/circle is shown fully, to enable the phrase to be formed :

I am surprised, I will consider, balance sheet, we are instructed, hair spring

Compare surprised consider balance instructed spring

Hook represents word: our own, carried on, have been, take off, which have/of Top of page If a hook is already being used at the end of an outline, you cannot use that hook to also represent a word in a phrase:

representative of, irrespective of, objective* of, proof of, turn on *The outline for "objective" (a contraction) is the same as the phrase "object of" In a single word outline, the normal order of reading is the hook first, and then the halving or doubling sound, but in a few phrases this is

sometimes be overridden. The convenience gained outweighs this incursion into the main theory rule:

part of, report of, in of, sort of, some sort of

in spite of, instead of, state of the, present state of, high state of

Compare raft, roofed, surfed, deserved, puffed, spoofed, draft/draught, tuft/toughed

later on/than, further on/than, rather than, shorter than

Compare lender, fender, render, shunter Mostly the order of reading the components is kept as normal i.e. Stroke + Hook + ther/ter/der:

been there, will have been there, out of there/their, rid of their

Compare the nouns: binder lavender dafter drifter Top of page Adding hooks to short forms: Phrases consisting of a short form plus hook are not always so instantly recognisable, because short forms do not contain all the consonants of the word. When the "missing" part is at the beginning, those are easier to read back, but when the missing part comes in the middle or end of the short form, phrasing them with a hook may be more confusing than helpful:

going on, wipe off but go on, go off, put off The following are acceptable, and of course you can also add a Circle S to the hook for "us, his" etc:

people of, member of, number of, tell of/off, much of, which of/have, chair of

call of/off, equal of, school of, care of, ought to have, who have, you have

had been, larger than, our own, rather than, more than, have been, very own, your own, their own, therefore been The following should be used at your discretion, as the words have "missing" consonants immediately before the hook:

speak of, principle of, liberty of, truth of, doctor of, delivery of, usually been

Separate outlines for difference of, subject of, belief of compare difficult subjective.

As the "belief" does not have its own F in the outline, an additional F Hook might cause confusion, as if the outline had been filled out because the correct short form was not known well enough. Top of page R Hook

appear = to appear, it will appear, it appears that, they appeared

park = car park, Central Park, local park

board = electricity board, medical board, local board, your board, board of directors

part = in/any part of, in all parts of, small part of, for my part, on your part

large part of the, on our part, various parts of, taking part of Note taking apart, set apart need the vowel sign to distinguish them

far = so far, so far as, insofar as, too far, how far

very far, is it far, by far the most, by far the worst

force = into force

forth = set forth, so forth, put forth See also Phrasing 8 Intersections/forth

assure = to assure us, I assure you, we can assure you

please be assured, we are assured, you may rest assured

corps/core = army corps, air corps, diplomatic corps

medical corps needs the vowel (or write in full) to distinguish it from medical care. Note corps/cores – the plural is spelled the same and pronounced "corz". See also Phrasing 8 Intersections/corporation Top of page

Note also corpus corpuses* corpora*, corpse corpses

*Alternative plurals of "corpus", depending on the meaning. "per" in a phrase is written with R Hook or Ray, whichever s best:

per = per minute, per month, per mile, per kilogramme

per cent*, per annum, per dozen *also an Intersection; the longhand can also be written as one word "percent" and comes from Latin "centum" = hundred See also Phrasing 5/miles per hour, miles an hour

order: Doubled: in order, in order that, it is in order that, seems to be in order

Halved: in order to, in order to have, in order to be, in order to be* *If you have already written the doubled version of "in order", you would then proceed to write the next outline "be" separately, rather than attempting to replace with the textbook phrase.

"in order to" is easier to if you think of the halving as representing the "to" part

rate, at any rate compare downright, generate, venerate Circle S is occasionally reversed in mid-outline to indicate an R Hook, the same as occurs in a few normal outlines:

occur, agree = it has occurred, it has occurred to me, it occurs to me, it has occurred to us

it is/has agreed, purchase agreement compare disagree discourse discourage Top of page L Hook

all = at all, at all costs, by all means, by all s but by all counts

Keep the L Hook on the En large so that it doesn't look like R Hook "in our":

in all events, in all cases, in all circumstances, in all instances, in all respects

in all ways, in all their ways, in all other ways, on* all sides, on* all occasions *Here the short form for "on" is not used, and the word is represented phonetically by stroke En. If you adopt these two phrases, you cannot then use them for "in all sides" or "in all occasions", both of which would be much less likely.

only = if only, it is/has only, we have only, I have only just, I am only speaking

it may only, can only be, I can only assume, will only be, my only objection

unless = unless we have, unless and until, until and unless, unless there is

fellow = fellow , fellow students, fellow citizens, fellow creatures* *See Distinguishing Outlines List 1/creator creature curator Top of page N Hook on, own*, than, been: *adjective only, do not use for the verb

take on, taking on, carry on, carrying on, carried on, going on

your own, our own, their own, her own compare his own, my own, mine

more than, any/in more than, no more than, little more than, higher than, wider than, better than

bigger than, greater than, larger than, fewer than, lower than, smaller than

longer than, stronger than, sooner than, sharper than, poorer than, clearer than

further than, farther than, later than, no later than, quicker than There are several ways to represent "been" and "have been" in phrases, in addition to the normal Short Form: – Hook where convenient:

I have been, we have been, would not have been, they have been, there will have been

have been expecting, have been known, have been received, may have been, it has never been, has it ever been

we had been, already been, only been, recently been, definitely been, certainly been Compare these to similar outlines "definitely not, certainly not" below – Full short form:

it has been, it has not been, he has been, she has been, there has been, you have been – Omit the N Hook on the short form "been" to enable the next outline to :

been received, been required, it has been said*, it has been delivered, it has been suggested *See also variations on this Phrasing 4/has to be said

she has been able to, he has been able to, which has been made, which have been made, you have been made – For "have been" where the Bee s better than the Vee, omit the "have":

seems to have, seems to have been, must have, must have been

would have, would have been, note also they would have been where there is no advantage in omitting the "have" See also Phrasing 3/would happen

– If you omit the "have", don't omit the N hook on "been" as well in the same phrase, because that would represent "be":

it must have been, it must have been said compare it must be said

it would have been said compare it would be said Top of page N Hook with halving = not:

will not, I will not, you will not, it will not be, he will not be, which will not, they will not

they will not be, this will not, definitely not*, certainly not*, almost certainly not*

*Keep the halved Ell short, so that these do not look like "definitely been" etc above

Note definitely not been, certainly not been where you cannot use the N Hook for "been" as it is already used for the "not".

I am not, I am not quite sure, may not, you may not be, it may not be, they may not be, which may not See also Phrasing 6/Distinguishing Pairs/may might

you will not, you are not is possible but you are not in full is preferable, as it is less likely to be misread as "you will not". Are not on its own, or starting a phrase, should always be in full.

were not, you were not, or not, whether it is or not Note: whether or not

has it not, has it not been, is it not, would it not, would it not be

they are = they are not, and they are not, but they are not, for they are not, I think they are not The following are clearer in full, and this also enables them better, making many other phrases possible:

are not, have not, was not, shall not

we shall not, I shall not, shall not be, shall not have, shall not find

we have not, they have not, you may have not, he may have not Where any halving would be invisible, write in full:

we are not, we were not, they were not, many were not

hand = on either hand compare on the other hand which also omits the R Top of page F/V Hook

of = out of, photo of, plenty of, quality of the, side of the, inside of the, member of the

rid of the, right of/off, route of, rate of interest, rate of exchange

state of affairs, state of things, top of the, group of the, pack of the, take care of

much of the, which of the, each of the, which of them, each of these, each of those

off = slip/sleep off, set off/stay off, get off, better off, paid off, take off, check off, log off

have = you have, you have not, you have been, for you have, do you have, which you have but when you have "You" when tilted does not take this hook

that you have, who have, those who have not, those who have never been

ought to have, ought to have been, ought to have done, ought to have seen, which have but we have is clearer in full and needs to be able to to many other outlines. Top of page Afternoon evening: keep the final hook clear, as these two are similar:

afternoon = Monday afternoon, yesterday afternoon

evening = Sunday evening, yesterday evening

this afternoon, that afternoon, this evening, tomorrow evening where the full form s well "Morning" is stroke M intersected

event = at all events, in which event, in such events Phrasing 5/in the event of

See also

effect = into effect, take effect, right effect "Kt" can also stand for "fact"/Phrasing 4 Omission

side-effect in full See Distinguishing Outlines List2/defect Top of page Part of, number of When "part" is written with a halved Per stroke, it does not use the F/V Hook for "of" because that would look too much like "number of". Instead, the "of" is omitted:

part, part of, part of the but great part of, great part of the

small part of the, take part of the, latter part of the, major part of the

number, number of, number of the, great number of the, small number of the The "of" can be omitted after "number" to achieve a , but only if it cannot be mistaken for "part":

large number of cases but large number of men Where the word ends in S or Dot Ing, you can't use a final hook to represent a word in a phrase:

take on/taken, taken on, takes on, set off, sets off, setting off

parts of speech, numbers of people, numbering of people Circle S for "as has is his us" can be added to the hook, because the normal order is to read the S last of all:

you have us/his, who have us/his, ought to have us/his, which have us/his, take of/off his, number of us/his, member of his

Advanced phrase head office also sounds the S last. In normal outlines you would never use a hook with Circle S if there was a vowel sounded between them e.g. Dave's Davis Top of page Shun Hook - Large:

ocean = Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean See also Phrasing 4/Atlantic Coast

information = for your information, further information See also Phrasing 8 Intersections/communication The direction of Shun hook may change to balance the phrase's outline, as it does in normal outlines, and you may need to put in an occasional vowel sign to prevent errors in reading back:

section, in this section, in my section, occasion, on which occasion, on this occasion Shun Hook – Small: "Association" is the textbook recommended use of the small shun hook. There are others available to choose from, and they need some thought as to the safest combinations in which to use them. They seem mostly interchangeable, i.e they could all make sense in the same sentence, so it would be better to settle on a few very common unvarying phrases for each of them, and so avoid misreadings:

association = political association, medical association, football association, Articles of Association*

*Note that the two S sounds are represented by one circle, as "Articles" is always plural in this phrase

session = this session, next session Two S sounds represented by one circle

conversation = telephone conversation, confidential conversation, Skype conversation, Internet conversation* *The circle + small shun hook combination is never used on a halved or doubled stroke for normal outlines, only in a phrase where it represents a word.

taxation = direct taxation, indirect taxation See note above

season = summer season, autumn season

decision = final decision, financial decision, unanimous decision The following is a quicker alternative to the fuller phrase:

position = in a position, I am not in a position, untenable position* *See also Phrasing 5/in a position and Distinguishing Outlines List 4/undeniable untenable When used with a simple word like "your" or "their", which provides no context, extra care is needed. It is often helpful to write the first occurrence in full and use an abbreviation for subsequent occurrences within the same piece, so that you have the full form to refer back to:

your association/decision/conversation/position their association/decision/ conversation/position financial position/decision Out of context you have no way of knowing which is meant Top of page (b) Circles & Loops Circle S

= us, as, has, is, his. For simplicity, only one of these is shown in the text with each example, but you should vary these when you are practising them:

of us, to us, and is, should his, on his, but his, with us, when is, what is, would his

for us, take us, to give us, let us see, before us, above us

tell us, they want us, please inform us, please let us have, please let us know

as fast as, foster his, against us, just as, missed us

such as it is, inasmuch as, as near as possible, as many as, as far as

say = you can say that, we can say that, I would say that, we would say that, asked to say that

to say a few words, I am sorry to say that, very sorry to have to say that, to say the least "Should" can be represented by the Circle S in a few phrases, which allows phrases to be made when the normal short form cannot be ed:

we should be, we should not be, we should have Do not use the circle for "should" where it could be read for "is":

it should be* it is to be, it has to be, if it should be, if it is to be, if it has to be *The short form s well here anyway

With N Hook: at once, upon us, depend upon us

With R Hook: as per, as promised, as permitted, as directed As with forming normal outlines, an initial Circle S may change its direction when it comes in the middle of a phrase:

it is, it is important, please take, please make, speaker, Mr Speaker

certain, to certain, secretary, general secretary, Home Secretary In the last two examples, the Circle S has become medial and therefore its direction cannot be thought of as signifying an R Hook. After "this, these, those" the original direction is kept, as being more legible that reversing the circle:

this man, this may have, these matters However, in single-word outlines the circle is written outside, see Theory 19 Suffixes General/change of curve direction. Here Circle S replaces stroke Ess in order to gain a convenient phrase:

aside = set aside but not in take aside compare take sides Top of page Circle Ses Medially, mostly replacing two Circle S signs:

this is, this is the, this is it, this is no doubt, this is where, this has been, this has to be/this is to be/this subject S + S in separate words is often pronounced as one S, but Pitman's Shorthand generally shows both, to aid legibility:

this city*, this statement, enclosed statement Note state statement *Same outline as "this is it" above, insert final vowel if felt necessary

this century, this side, this suggestion, this circumstance, these circumstances

it is certain, it is certainly, there is certainly, which is certainly

there is as much, there is something, there is sometimes, there is certainly

it must seem, it is simple, because it is sometimes compare because it sometimes

it is said, it is seen, it is soon, it is something, it is someone, it is such

it is sufficient, it is suggested, it is satisfactory, it is satisfying, it is supposed

sometimes seems, for his suggestion, for his sake compare for the sake of

it appears as though compare it appears that, because such, will you please send, yes sir, which is as follows

Omitting T in the middle: most serious, most suitable, most satisfactory, almost certain, there is still

system = school system, heating system, plumbing system, writing system If Ses cannot be written, it may be acceptable to only use one S, as long as the sense remains clear:

chairman's statement, chairman's speech (Unlikely to be "chairman's peach", but if it was, you would write separate outlines) Can't use Ses Circle if there are three S's:

this is/themselves, this satisfactory but this is satisfactory Top of page Ses initially Large Circle at the beginning is normally Sway, but the following phrases are common enough to be worthwhile using it for S + S:

as soon as, as said, as satisfactory, as suggested Alone: In longhand , the following are phrases because they are two words, but in shorthand they are counted as short forms because they do not consist of outlines ed together:

1. as/has followed by any other: as, has, is, his 2. is/his followed by any other: as, has, is, his

as is the/as has the --- his is the/is as the --- as has been --- as is being --- as is known See also Phrasing 6/Distinguishing pairs/as is, as we Circle Sway As with normal outlines, Sway Circle is only used at the beginning of an outline or phrase: As we:

as we are, as we can, as we cannot be, as we may, as we have, as we have not*

*In full, not halved

as we have said, as we have been, as we have been there, as we have received, as we shall be, as we wish

as we know, as we think, as we think there is, as we do, as we generally, as we just

as we do not, as we did not, as we do not think, as we do not have, as we cannot, as we need

as we trust, as we promised, as we produced, as we permitted compare as promised, as produced, as permitted As well, as will:

as well/as will, as well as, as well as can be, as well as our, as well as most

as will be seen, as will be appreciated, as will have been Sway is not used if it cannot :

as we understand*, as we would, as we went, as we considered, as we instructed *The Ses could possibly , like "as we need" above, but there is not enough room for it to be clear. Sway is not used if the outline already starts with Circle S – the large circle signifies SW, and cannot also include S that follows:

as we said, as we stated, as we started, as we suggest, as we supposed Sway is not used within phrases, just as it is not used in the middle of a normal outline:

as we can but as soon as we can, as soon as we are able, you may as well Top of page Stee Loop Stee Loop can remain in the phrase only if it makes a good (but see also Phrasing 4/Omitting consonant for examples of where the T is left out) :

last year, last few years, in the last few days, just now, just in case, best wishes*, first time *Note upward Ish for convenience

at first, at first appearance, very first, February first, at first hand but first hand, first thing

With N Hook = next = Monday next, Wednesday next, October next, February next

As with normal outlines, an initial Stee Loop may change when it becomes medial:

foundation, stepping, stone = foundation stone, stepping stone

state, stated, statement = to state, they state, they stated

we stood, we stayed*, we state, we stated, I regret to state compare single outlines: stay, stayed/staid, stood *It is prudent to write "stayed" with full strokes in the phrase, as the meaning is similar to "stood" and a vowel would not distinguish it, because that would look like "state".

present state, in all states, also state, his own statement, recent statement, in that statement

stock, stick = in stock, walking stick Top of page (c) Halving

it = if it, if it is, as if it were, from it, from its, till it, till it can

I think it was (compare I thought it was), I wish it to be, I wish it would be, I wish it were not, depend upon it, make it clear

in which it is/has, in which it has been, by which it may, under which it would, with which it would, will it but will it not* *This is more distinctive than halving the Wel for "it" and adding the normal outline "not", but if you have already written the phrase "will it" you should then continue with the normal outline for "not"

to = able to, I am able to, you are able to, we are able to, you were able to, unable to, he is unable to See also Phrasing 6/Distinguishing Pairs/unable

out = set out, get out, brought out, carried out, ride out, inside out

fade out, hide out, hold/held out, help out, drop out, wipe out, cop out but throughout It is clear from the above that this will not work for past tenses that already end in "ded" or "ted", but for "point out" and "pointed out" it is worth having special phrases, as they are very common expressions:

point out, pointed out* in full it would be pointed out compare tout trout

*this in effect says "pointed ow" (i.e. omitting the last T) with the diphthong being treated as a separate item, like the F/V Hook in "part of" Halving to represent T in the next syllable:

some time (= "sumt-ime"), for some time to come, at some time or other, at the same time, at one time

at all times, my time, more time, lunch time, at which time, at such times

modern times, proper time, reasonable time, spare time, extra time

valuable time, available time, before time, considerable time, most suitable time

from time to time, from time immemorial

The following has three versions with varying degrees of abbreviation, the first one is textbook, the other two are more advanced:

for some considerable time, for some considerable time, for some considerable time

These are clearer in full: little time, several times, in due time compare in day time See also Phrasing 3/Imp/for some time past

The T of "time" is omitted in these: short time ago, second time, hard times and the halving is considered as doing duty for both D and T sounds.

text = my text, the words of my text, from my text* *These phrases were first created before mobile phone texting existed, and originally would have referred to the text of a letter or report.

Single words that do not use halving may be able to do so within a phrase, because there is extra information in the outline, thus keeping it legible:

afraid, we are afraid, right, right angle See also Phrasing8 Intersections/right angle

date, earliest possible date, brought, brought forward

Compare the nouns: bet alphabet boat lifeboat rate birth-rate You cannot use halving to represent a word if it is already in use in the outline, or if the basic outline is avoiding halving (as in "edit"):

fit it, fitted it, watched it, doubt it, doubted it, edit it Top of page

(d) Doubling = other, there, their, dear (For convenience the text captions show only one of the pair there/their) See also Phrasing 6/Distinguishing Pairs/N+ther The rules for doubling are the same as for single words i.e. do not double a single straight stroke that has no attachments:

be there but been there, we can be there; out there but take out their, out of their, take out of their A final S is read after the doubling, as in normal outlines:

catch their, in which there is, catches their, catching their

enjoy their, enjoys their, enjoying their

acknowledge their, acknowledges their, acknowledging their

hope there, hope there is, hopes there is, hoping there is Other:

some other, by some other means, in other directions, in other ways

one or other, one or another compare one or the other which omits the R

somehow or other, somehow or another, for some reason or other "any other, no other" omit the R Hook, so that they do not clash with any of the above. Vocalise the "no" when it is out of position within a phrase:

any other, no other, for any other, for no other, every other way Top of page There/their:

upon there, help their, wipe their, above their, cannot be there

into there, out of their, get there, carried on their, get rid of their

take their, make their way, practise their, how can there be

seek their opinion, in connection with their*, bigger than their, we had gone there *This combination of doubling and Shun is only used in phrasing, never in an ordinary outline.

in which there, in which there are, which have their, enjoy their, engage their, acknowledge their

their, imagine their, if there was, I do not know if there is but for there was, for there is to distinguish them.

I have there, will have their, over there, from their last letter

more than their, whenever there is, whatever there is, wherever there is

wherefore there is (Note wherefore), I think there is, I think there was

we think there may, then their, then there is, through their, through their own

although there has been, though there have been, though there was, though there were

I was there, he was there, when he was there, I am sure there is, be sure there is, shall there, shall there be

I know there is, taking their, making their way, including their

as a rule there is, until there has been, will there, will there be, while there is

follow their instructions, or there/order, or there is/orders, hear/here their compare here and there

in their, in their case, in their view, in their interest

in their opinion, in their hands, in their time, in their own way Top of page Dear:

my dear sir, my dear madam, my dear friends, my very dear friend Therefore: If the original form s well, that should be used:

I have therefore, we think therefore, will therefore If the original does not well, use doubling for the "there" part:

I shall therefore, we shall therefore, I was therefore compare I was there for a week i.e. "therefore", whether normal outline or in a phrase, is not used to represent "there for" You cannot use doubling to create a phrase, if the outline for the word is already doubled or halved:

after their, further their, order their, and therefore there

I thought there would be, it is not their, we have considered their, we have received their

Top of page (e) Suffixes Many suffixes are words in their own right and these can be usefully combined in phrases. They are written in proximity, the same as when they are used as suffixes, and not ed or intersected:

ability = best of my ability, best of our ability, best of their ability, in his ability

reality = in reality, facing reality, artificial reality

mentality = high mentality, low mentality, superior mentality, criminal mentality

of this mentality, average mentality, of such mentality but of such a mentality

amount = certain amount This is copying the suffix "-ment" that omits the M

logical = it is logical, it is not logical, it may be logical, can be done logically but full outline for it is illogical

ship, shipment = many ships, abandoned the ship, with this shipment, received the shipment

fullness = in the fullness of time As a suffix, it is spelt "-fulness" f) R forms

R can be represented by Ray, Ar or R Hook, and may change from the form used in the basic outline:

were = we were, they were, these were, if it were, if any were

war = world war, man-of-war/man o' war

or = one or more, two or more, at or about compare on or about, out and about See also Phrasing 5 Omission/or

Sir = Sir Christopher, Sir Charles, Sir David, Sir James

dare = I dare not, I dare say

door = out of doors Note also: outdoor, indoor

appear, appeared = it would appear, to appear, he appears, it appears that, they appeared

power = power down, power tools also power-house, power-station, powerpoint/Powerpoint which are compound words Top of page

(g) L forms L can be represented by upward Ell, downward Ell or L Hook. In a phrase, an outline with upward Ell may change to downward to achieve a better :

else less = anything else, nothing is less*, less than, any less than, not** less than *See also Phrasing 6/Essential Vowels/else less separately

**Insert the vowel in "not" or write it

longer = it is no longer, any longer, no longer than

elsewhere = where else, somewhere else

anywhere else, nowhere else, everywhere else

like = anything like, nothing like, something like

I would like, I would like to know

let = let us, let us say, let us see, let us know, please let us know, let us have, let you have

last, letter = your letter, your last letter, this letter, in our last letter

line = in line, for this line compare clothesline

will = he will, they will, you will, this will

sale, old = for sale, this sale, years old Top of page

(h) H forms H can often be safely omitted from common words in a phrase:

hope = I hope, we hope that, we hoped that, let us hope that, would hope, we would hope

home = at home, at home and abroad*, at home and overseas* *These two do not need the vowel, as they have more information in them

house = of the house, by the house, in the house, for the house, lower house* *Dot Hay and vowel shown for reference

in this house*, upper house, custom house "housing" is clearer in full: in the housing market *Large Circle used to represent two small circles, compare "Theory 12 Hay/clotheshorse"

history = for the history, in the history of the

happen = it has happened, what has happened, would happen*, would have been** *Dot Hay and vowel shown for reference. **See also Phrasing 2/have been

freehold, leasehold = freehold property, freehold land, leasehold premises Tick omitted:

hear hardly = hear hear, there is hardly

whom = from whom (insert vowel) compare from me, from him Top of page

(i) W forms W can be represented by Way, Wel or W Semicircle or omitted:

was = this was, that was, never was, if it was, another was

were = nor were they, when were/when we are, if that were W Semicircle omitted:

such were, such as were, you were, if he were, if he were not, who were

as it were, which were, there were, those which were, how were, I wish there were "what were" needs both outlines in full, because if you left out the second semicircle sign, the phrase would be identical to "were":

what, were = what were also I know what were Omitting the hook on Wel:

will = I will, you will, if he will, they will, she will

as it will be, such will, such as will be, for it will have, if it will, that will not

those will, this will, these will, this will not, as long as will

But the hook s well in: we will, where will, and will, anything will, something will be Do not use the plain Ell for the noun "will" (both meanings: force of mind, and legal document) or the verb (meaning to bequeath):

Their will to succeed is very strong. If you will him the house, he will be glad.

This Will is not signed. Their Will was in the drawer.

Only exception: last Will and Testament Vowel helpful The noun Will, referring to the legal document, is often written with a capital letter to prevent misreading and misunderstanding.

well = very well*, it may well be, it may very well be, he may well be *Vowel advised, see Phrasing 6/Distinguishing pairs/well low ill Top of page

you may well, you may as well, it is well known, so well

Always insert the

vowel if it helps

war = of thewar, throughout the war, during the war, before the war, civil war

wear = evening wear compare knitwear sportswear

wire = this wire, live wire, earth wire

word = any word, no word, many words, in his own words, few words

following words, in those words, in these words, Holy Word, God's Word

world = this world, another/in their world, civilised world

all the world, in the world/any world, all over the world

work = of the work*, for the work, with the works, this work for reference

worse = any worse, no worse, no worse than

worth, worthy = not worth, it is worth, local worthies

*Vowel shown

to be worth, worthwhile, be worthwhile, not worthwhile With, when, what, would:

with the, with us/his, with you, with me, with it, with which, with them, with their

when the, when is/has the, when do/had*, when they, when that, when you, when he, when we, when would *If necessary, you can indicate that it is "had" by inserting Dot Hay and the A vowel, see Phrasing 7/had not

what the, what is/his/has, what is/has the, what is/has your, what you/what would, what can, what had, what do, what have/whatever

would the, would you, would he, would be, would it, would she, would have

it would, which would, you would, he would, she would, I would, we would, they would

Kway is usually used for K+W spoken together, but is useful to extend the short form "can":

can we, can we have, can we follow, can we say, can we please, can we permit

likewise* likewise (non-dictionary alternative) compare lukewarm* *These two are the dictionary outlines Top of page

(j) Imp In the following, Imp is used for M+P and M+B even though the sounds are in different syllables:

for some time past, for some considerable time past compare tempest, lamp-post

legislative assembly = legislative assembly (k) Non-use of short form Where the original short form outline does not :

called = so-called*, was called, what is called compare miscalled *Vowel helpful

first = first rate, at first sight, at first, at first hand compare first hand, first class, first quality

from = from the first, from first to last

hand either other = on the other hand, on either hand compare on their own, they are not

our = in our OR nor, in our way, in our opinion, it is in our interests

in our world, in our reply, in our hands

are = they are, and they are, for they are*, if they are* *See also Phrasing 6/Distinguishing pairs/if for

"Much" in some phrases is written with the stroke Em to enable it to :

much = so much, how much, to/too much, was as much, there is much, very much

Compare so large, how large, very large

more = much more, much more than, very much more than, so much more than

herewith = enclose herewith, I have enclosed herewith, send herewith These are safer with the W vowel shown, to distinguish from "them", but still quicker than separate outlines.

what = I know what, have what we can, that is what, somewhat* *Vowels shown but not essential. This is semicircle W for "wo-" vowel, rather than the short form "what", note also the Dot Hay against it.

would = we would, I would, this would, some would, many would, if it would

was = this was, if it was, I think it was the, why was the

word = this word/would, these words, several words, in other/in their words, many words

my own words, in our own words, satisfactory words

year = this year*, many years, New Year**, another year *This awkward change of direction is avoided wherever possible, and not used in basic outlines, but this phrase is still quicker than separate outlines. **Keep the Yay+Ray stroke long, as this is similar to the contracted phrase for "New York" (N+Yay)

yard = many yards, several yards, back yard, coal yard

Use the short form if it s well: two yards/words, three yards/words, hundred yards/words a) Omitting a consonant P

ship builder B

on behalf of

T

past year, past experience, post office, I trust that

next door, next time, last time, your last letter

best time, best *, best quality, best price

*Compare this with "business " below

West End, West Indies, must say, must have

must not, must never, must take compare mistake

must also*, must receive, most likely *The ed first vowel of "also" is omitted in phrases

most probable/probably, in most cases, most excellent

most desirable, most undoubtedly, most necessary

take steps, necessary steps, at cost price, lowest price

better still, medical student, shorthand student, college student

critical stage, initial stages, used to be, used to have

at the earliest moment, at the earliest opportunity, at the last minute The short form "to be" can be "borrowed" to cover any word that begins with the same sound and which is normally written on the line. Writing through the line signifies the "oo" vowel whilst omitting the T:

to be, to begin, to behave, to belong

to being, to behold, to beware compare to be aware which needs the vowel sign K Top of page

few weeks, past few weeks, several weeks, many weeks F

in fact (compare in effect), well-known fact

it is a well-known fact, as a matter of fact, notwithstanding the fact "Kt" not ed:

of the fact, because of the fact, to the fact that, due to the fact that, in view of the fact, lose sight of the fact

owing to the fact, significant fact, significance of the fact, in spite of the fact, in the light of the fact

in point of fact OR in point of fact, is that a fact also that is a fact, fact of the matter, from the fact that

telegraph wire N

yours sincerely*, yours most sincerely*, foreign affairs, Foreign Secretary *Downward Ell for the sake of lineality, despite the following vowel

has been considered, has been made, has been mentioned* *See Phrasing 8 Intersections/mentioned

has been received, has been said compare has to be said, is to be said

between them, between this, between which, between now

one more, once more*, once again *The Circle S written medially has to go in this direction, therefore the direction cannot be taken as indicating an N Hook.

one thing, one hand, one question

one another, on one side, one way, one instance

one fourth, one fifth, one tenth Do not omit the N hook of "one" if a past-tense verb follows, as that would be confused with "we"

we understood, we knew, we needed, we went

Keep the hook where helpful: one point, one of my, one of our, one of us/his, one and all

generally speaking, general secretary, general election but election

human character, human life, home life

compare human mind, human kind

take place/taken place, taken place* compare takes place *The first outline is textbook and covers both "take" and "taken", the second outline is a suggestion that omits the L Hook instead of the N Hook, to provide a distinction.

L Top of page

first place*, feel sure, long life *See also Phrasing 5/Omission/first place R

much more, any other, no other, many other, than the other

from the other, and other conclusions, on the other, on the other side of the, on the other hand Compare:

some other, some of them, any of them, many of them

another of them, in the other, for the other

square = square feet, square yards, square inches

square miles, square metres/meters, square deal

square root is clearer full and square meals in full so it does not look like "school meals" W

last week, last weekend, this week, next week* *Vowel shown for reference

previous week, six weeks, six weeks' time Top of page

(b) Omitting a repeated sound Omitting a repeated sound, where the two are slurred together:

animal life, social life, personal life

some measure, Prime Minister, in other respects

little longer, still longer, upside-down* *Compare this with up and down/Phrasing5

break cover but take cover to distinguish it from take over*, over *Vr is flipped so that it s well

Atlantic Coast, Pacific Coast, Baltic Coast

See also Phrasing 2/Shun Hook/Atlantic

Ocean

Omitting repeated stroke, even though the sounds are pronounced separately:

take exception, make exception, zero rated, satisfactory reply, satisfactory record, satisfactory response

satisfactory reason, satisfactory result, better results, poor results, hardly likely,

personal knowledge, personal injury, final analysis, it is considered, income and expenditure With these, it is the shorthand marks that would have been repeated, rather than the phrase having two identical sounds in succession.

family life, seem to imagine, technical college, technical college Some of these can also be used in other phrases:

making exceptions, hardly possible, technical , technical phrases

acceptable results, reliable results, get results, will result, it will result Bigger and bigger, etc:

bigger and bigger, better and better, deeper and deeper, higher and higher, later and later

more and more, larger and larger, lower and lower, faster and faster, nearer and nearer

quicker and quicker, worse and worse, years and years, such and such, round and round, but around and around See also Phrasing 5/door to door

Word + or + negative:

directly or indirectly, correctly or incorrectly, real or unreal, true or untrue

known or unknown, willing or unwilling, sold or unsold, claimed or unclaimed Top of page

(c) Omitting a syllable or part of word

additional costs, additional expense, additional experience additional

additional work, additional information

bishop Rev Bishop See also Phrasing 8 Intersections/Bishop

British

British Isles, British people, British Museum

business business letter, business man, business experience, business school

business matters, business *, business-like manner *Compare this with "best " above

business relations, business lines, lines of business , line of business See also Phrasing 8 Intersections/business

con- com-

income tax compare becoming shortcoming forthcoming

The Con Dot or proximity can be omitted and the outline just ed on, for very common phrases only:

I will consider, you may consider, to consider the, we have considered consider consideration considered considerate

cannot be considered, for consideration, for your consideration, great deal of consideration

carefully considered, careful consideration, very considered, very considerate See also Phrasing 5 Omission/into for similar "consider" phrases

concern concerned

your concern, I am concerned, they are concerned, we are concerned, you are concerned

we have concluded, I concluded, came to the conclusion conclude concluded conclusion

and in conclusion, logical conclusion, my own conclusion

Top of page

satisfactory conclusion, other conclusions, necessary conclusion

unexpected consequence, necessary consequence, unforeseen consequences consequence consequences

convenient as soon as convenient See also Phrasing 8 Intersections/convenient

counsel

counsel for the defence, counsel for the defendant, counsel for the plaintif See also Phrasing 8 Intersections/council

"ex-" words = Although the X has been underlined, only the Kay is omitted, the Circle S remains:

expense expenses

personal expense, necessary expense, heavy expenses, medical expenses

college examinations, medical examination, medical exam examination exam

experience personal experience, in our experience, recent experience

extent to a great extent, to a certain extent but to a large extent

favourable

favourable circumstances, more favourable

honourable

Honourable Member, Honourable Senator, Honourable Gentleman*,

Right Honourable Gentleman *Write the phrase on the line for "gentlemen"

inspector building inspector, hospital inspector, inspector general

government inspector You could condense this further to gov+spector

railway inspector

instruct instruction* *Short Form

I am instructing*, I have been instructed, you will instruct *Through the line because of the first vowel of "instructing" even though the "in" part has been omitted from the shorthand.

your instructions, further instructions Inserting the dash vowel helps to distinguish "instruction" from considerations above, which looks similar.

instrument

musical instrument, stringed instrument, string instrument, surgical instrument -ly

extremely pleased, extremely concerned, extremely sorry, I am extremely sorry* *This last one also omits the Kay

distinctly, distinctly understood, strictly speaking, broadly speaking, abundantly clear

absolutely certain, absolutely sure, absolutely necessary

Top of page

perfectly sure, perfectly clear, perfectly satisfactory

pressure high pressure, low pressure, water pressure, blood pressure

Majesty

Your Majesty, Her Majesty, His Majesty, Their Majesties

manner

in this manner, satisfactory manner, reasonable manner, and in like manner

all manner, all manner of ways, such a manner, in such a manner as to* *Using the short form "to" at the end of a phrase is generally avoided, but here the meaning is clear

most encouraging manner, in the same manner compare for the same honour See also Phrasing 6/Distinguishing Pairs/manner

month

this month, next month, during the month, end of the month

end of this month, six months, six months' time, six months ago* *Vowel helpful but not essential

See also Phrasing 8 Intersections/month

three months, two month but many months to keep it different from the plain outline months

objection I have no objection, there are no objections, we have another objection J-Shun standing alone is also the optional contraction for "generation"

possible possibly it is possible, it is not possible, it was not possible, it is just possible

as soon as possible, as long as possible, all we possibly can

as much as possible, as early as possible, as quickly as possible, as good as possible If the speaker says the abbreviated word "poss" then write it as a separate vocalised outline:

poss, not poss, if poss

property

personal property, private property, freehold property, lost property This is not so immediately obvious or distinctive as other phrases, so keep for very common word groupings and only if you are likely to use it frequently: reason

for this reason, there is no reason why, very good reason, every reason to believe

Don't use this for plural "reasons" as that would look like "sense":

good sense, good reasons, good reason, what were the reasons If you write "reason" in full, you can still omit "the" where convenient:

what is the reason, what is the reason, what was the reason, what was the reason Top of page

receipt

I am in receipt of, we are in receipt of your letter, I acknowledge receipt of the

receive received

reference

I shall be glad to receive, expect/expected to receive, we have received, has been received, not yet received

with reference to, with reference to the, with reference to your enquiry, with reference to this application

in reference to, in reference to the but in the face of the should be written in full to distinguish it.

regard

as regards the, with regard to the, in regard to the, in regard to these matters but in full for as far as as regards

relation

in relation to the, business relations, industrial relations, normal relations, friendly relations

reply replied

in reply to, in reply to your letter, your reply, we will reply, I have replied

report in my report, in our report, annual report, school report, medical report

requested

I am requested to send you, I am requested to send you, I have been requested

to send you The Circle S is doing duty for both S's in the above

you are requested to inform us*, you will be requested, I am requesting *Better not to omit the "re-" in this one, so that the first Ray is properly read as "are".

successful

very successful, most successful

Do not omit the L in "successful" if standing alone, as that would look too much like "successive". Keep to very common phrases where "successive" would not make sense.

successful, successfully, successive, successively* *Vowel advised

Compare also careful, carefully and careful/carefully optional contraction

under review

for the year under review, during the year under review, at the end of the year under review, period under review

movement upward movement, downward movement, sideways movement, Top of page

*See Distinguishing Outlines List 4/sideways sidewards

-ing

standing order, existing circumstances, stepping stone Any new phrase that omit "-ing" needs careful consideration before adoption:

leading question, lead-in question, lead question

leading article, lead article, working man, workman

canoe club, canoeing club

one-ofs

Although there is only one instance of most of the following, you can use

the principles to form new similar phrases:

ed letter, postal order, governor* general, Catholic* religion* *See also Contractions Optional for these

all of a sudden, enger train, rules and regulations, trade regulations, headquarters

social security, social security system, husband and wife, last but not least

Great Britain, be that as it may, vice versa, viva voce Top of page

Intersections should not be used haphazardly as a way of avoiding consulting the dictionary and learning the correct outline, but in a difficult moment a hasty untried intersection or part of an outline is better than leaving a gap. STR FULL OUTLINE INTERSECTION OKE

P

party* political party, birthday party, Christmas party, office party

policy

Proximity only:

council policy, insurance policy

per cent 5 per cent, 10 per cent per annum per annum

* "Per annum" on its own should be written in full, as the single Pee stroke is allocated to "per cent".

Pr

professor

Professor Smith, professor of music, music professor

application

to make application, many applications, enclosed application

punishment

corporal punishment, school punishment, necessary punishment

Pl

Pn

Ps

apparatus

heating apparatus, electrical apparatus, scientific apparatus PPs purpose

for the purpose, for the purposes, for these purposes, for those purposes

any other purpose, primary purpose, for many purposes This version shows two P strokes for "purpose", as that is clearer than a single one. It should always be intersected, not just ed, so that it is not mistaken for "possible"

sPr

superintende chief superintendent, railway superintendent nt

superintendent of works, superintendent of police

PM

for some period of time, during this period of time, various periods of time period of time B

bank* national bank, bank charges, river bank, Thames Embankment bill

bishop

Parliamentary Bill, Finance Bill* * "finance" can also be pronounced "fye-" so you could write this outline above the line

Top of page

Bishop of York, Bishop of London (See Contractions Optional for archbishop)

Bs

business* daily business, business , any business,

any other business See Phrasing 4/Omission/bus iness for other ed versions

printing business, of business, business references, business practice T

attention* for your attention, paying attention, immediate attention, careful attention, undivided attention

draw your attention, draw your immediate attention to the matter, call attention to the matter

urgent attention, my attention has been called, your best attention Tr

alternative there is no alternative, do we have any

alternative, we have no alternative

alternative sources, alternative energy, alternative plans Use full outline for "alternate" to avoid ambiguity. alternative = a second choice, option or possibility available alternate = every other one, every second one This comes from Latin "alter" = other, one of two Suggested intersection, based on the common longhand abbreviation "Tel" :

Tl

telephone

telephone message, answer the telephone, telephone call Suggested intersection:

Tv/ Tf television

television screen, television signal, television cable, cable television

If the person says "TV" or "telly" then you would write that in full:

television aerial but TV* screen, telly *Suggest separate T and V strokes, clearer than ing them.

Trf

traffic motorway traffic, traffic warden, traffic problems D

department* sales department, training department, Department of the Environment

department manager, departmental manager Do not use the intersection for "departmental" as the meanings are almost identical

Dr

director

company director, director's report

board of directors Attach, if intersecting is not practical

Use full outline for "director" if you think you might misread it as "doctors"

Dv

dividend declare a dividend, long division, division of labour division

Top of page

cellular division, political division, first division, second division

Ch

charge* electrical charge, free of charge, in charge, take charge Chancery* *This was included when intersections were first introduced, as it was assumed reporters would very often be reporting government business.

extra charges, surcharge, Chancery report

J

journal daily journal, medical journal, financial journal, copy of the journal See Contractions Optional for "journalist"

Jnr

engineer electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, civil engineer

mechanical engineering department, electrical engineer but electrical knowledge* *Don't use plain N-J as an abbreviation for "engineer", as that is the short form for "knowledge". In fact, the latter is not a good phrase, as its components are not immediately recognisable, and is only shown here as a warning.

K

company*

manufacturing company, ballet company, company report

council*

from the company, of the company, to the

company, in the company capital

county council, city council*, council of reference captain* *Choice of full outline or optional contraction

capital city*, capital expenditure, capital gains *Compare the position of the intersections in "city council" and "capital city"

Captain Jones, Captain Grant, Captain Pitt This intersection best only used with personal names

Kr

corporation

colonel The pronounced R of "colonel" is shown in the shorthand instead of the first L of the spelling

broadcasting corporation, publishing corporation

Colonel James, Lieutenant Colonel See also Phrasing 2/corps where the Kr is ed,

not intersected As K = captain, and Kr = colonel, this leaves "corporal" having to be written in full, although a non-textbook suggestion might be to intersect Kr+P = "Corp".

K+L

company limited

Speedy Company Limited, Design Company Limited If you wanted to signify the shortened version "Co Ltd" you could vocalise the Kay.

G

government* local government, government policy If necessary, expand to "gov" G+V to distinguish from "company".

company report, government report "Gov" is a good non-textbook substitute, quicker than the full outline, and more reliable than the Gay intersection. "Gov" alone is also the short form for govern/governed.

Take care with:

United States Government, United States of America

Here again, "gov" would be more reliable, or you could place the intersection through or above the Ses Circle (non-textbook suggestion)

Gn

beginning*

at the beginning, in the beginning, small beginnings

at the beginning of the year, beginning of the book, from the beginning, from the beginning to the end, from beginning to end Please note "from the beginning" has been corrected with the "tick the" (27 Sep 2013)

F

application form, necessary forms, we have just formed form* formed*

in one form or another, some other form

faithfully*

yours faithfully, faithfully yours

official

official papers, official reason, official opening federal

forth

federal reserve, federal offices, federal army = You need to be perfectly sure of the context, because "official" would make sense in all of these.

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call forth, go forth, come forth See also forth Phrasing2/forth

V

valuation short form

very low valuation, valuation of the property, valuation department* *The second version is quicker

Vn

convenience* it will be convenient, it is convenient, if convenient* convenient, convenient time

at your convenience, at your earliest convenience, public convenience Don't use this intersection through "not" "no" or "any" because that would clash with "inconvenient":

inconvenient*, it is inconvenient, it is not convenient, it is no convenience *Contraction

Ith

authority*

local authority, military authority, we have the authority

month*

railway authority

many months, for months, few months

some months, some months ago, summer months

month of March, twelve months, in a month's time

from month to month, several months, seven months See also Phrasing 4 Omission/month where the stroke Ith is ed

S

society*

musical society, agricultural society, drama society

scientific

society of musicians, musicians' society*, building society, artists' society *Writing the intersection alongside makes it clear that that word comes last.

Australia

scientific research, scientific papers, scientific experiments

government of Australia, Northern Australia, Western Australia Sn

Australian

Australian English, Australian customs, Australian government

Ish+ s

assurance*

life assurance, life assurance policy compare life insurance

M

mark*

trade mark, water mark, dirty marks, mark of respect

market

financial markets, market conditions,

morning*

farmers' market, cattle market

manager* this morning, yesterday morning, tomorrow morning, Monday morning See minister

also Phrasing 2/afternoon evening

Major sales manager, general manager, team manager, club manager America

mentioned

Minister for Defence, Education Minister, minister of religion

Major Brown, Pipe Major, Drum Major "Major General" should be in written full, as an intersection would be the same as "general manager" above, and writing the stroke Em over the top would look too much like "majority". See also sergeant major in Contractions Optional

South America, North and South America but United States of America

above-mentioned, I have mentioned, it was mentioned, it has been mentioned

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it should be mentioned, before-mentioned, afore-mentioned s+M

similar* similar reasons, similar reaction, very similar, or similar Must be clearly intersected, and not written adjacent, so it does not look like "some" or "same".

same reasons, some reasons These could also be phrased See also Contractions Optional/dissimilar

N

I will enquire, we have enquired, we have made enquiries

for your enquiry, in reply to your enquiry

enquire enquired enquiry (also spelled inquiry, with third place dot)

national*

industry

national newspapers, national affairs, national production

But national importance in full, compare unimportant

heavy industry, steel industry, iron and steel industry*, rural industry *The Circle S looks looped, but that is because it is written between curved strokes. A Stee Loop would never occupy such a position.

Ns

insurance* insurance papers, insurance policy

life insurance, necessary insurances, fire insurance company, third party insurance N+S hun communicatio n in/any communication, regular communication, communication system, communication difficulties Must be clearly intersected, and not written adjacent, so that it does not look like the short form "information".

regular information, information system See also Phrasing 2/information

Ing angle sharp angle, wide angle, obtuse angle

right angle, at right angles, angle of attack See also Phrasing 2/right angle

L

limited* limited company, And Sons Limited, Dance Company Limited liberal

Liberal candidate, Liberal manifesto, Liberal Party

lieutenant (English and American pronunciations respectively)

As these two words above have opposite meanings, it is probably best to use the "liberal" intersection for political only. Non-textbook suggestion: for greater safety you could interesect L+B instead.

Lieutenant Brown compare Lord Brown Best only used with a personal name

Ar

I have arranged, make arrangements, will you please arrange the matter

arrange* arranged* arrangement*

necessary arrangements, formal arrangements, wedding arrangements

Ray

I will require, you may require, we have required

require* required* I know the requirements, their requirement* requirements, they are required, they are

requiring

railway

railway station, railway carriage, railway lines, railway authority* *See also authority above

royal

already

royal family, royal throne, royal jewels Don't use this for "royal carriage", as it may be misread "railway carriage"

recollection

The "already" intersection is best used attached to a following verb:

we have already seen, we have already done, it has already been

which is already being, I have already

found, I have already said

I have already referred*, I have already received* compare I have referred, I have received *Note the intersected Ray represents "already" and not the R of "referred" or "received"

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best of my recollection, best of our recollection, best of your recollection

Rf

referring

referring to your letter, referring to your call, referring to my recent report

conservative

conservative estimate, conservative figure, conservative total

s+R ay

Conservative Party Hay

Wa y

Hay, Way and Wel, like all strokes, can be used for any term that you are dealing with on a regular basis within a particular field of work/interest. These few suggestions are given to illustrate the general method, but

you would not use them in a shorthand exam as there would be insufficient context and reading back would be approaching guesswork:

We l

hypodermic needle, hydraulic pump, hydrogen peroxide, helicopter pilot

walking club, wedding dress, weather forecast, welfare Yay

yield higher yield, average yield, regular yield, yield per annum united

unanimous unanimously United Nations, United Dairy Company Limited See Contractions Optional for "United Kingdom, United States"

carried unanimously, unanimous vote, unanimous decision* *See also Phrasing 2/unanimous As the meaning is similar to "united", only use for well-known "unanimous" phrases.

One offs leader of the opposition, speaking from memory, vote of thanks

bona fide, in the fullness of time*, pro forma *Not to be confused with for the first time/Phrasing 5

public library, hire purchase, by return of post

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House of Commons, House of Lords, in the House of Commons, in the House of Lords Note that these do not show the final S