Background

I started off interested in learning stenography using Plover for high speed transcription. I came across posts by a user named Proword (Joe) who describes how he uses shorthand and voice recognition for his transcription work using sequential abbreviations rather than chorded input. This idea made sense to me as it would not require a special keyboard and would take less time to learn. Stenography on the other hand may hold more potential for speed. Proword suggests on his blog that as the abbreviations are intuitive and personal to you there is no need to memorize a list of abbreviations.

Other programs are also available with existing shorthand dictionaries such as Typewell. Such a program may be useful as it eliminates the need to build a dictionary from scratch.

If you don't want to learn a new keyboard layout but instead wish to capitalize on existing skill with your current layout, shorthand is the way to make that happen.

How to Begin

To begin practicing shorthand, you can use the 10FastFingers typing speed test or this alternative test. You will first need a text replacement program.

1. Download and install Phrase Express.
2. Add the desired abbreviations. Abbreviations can be designed to maximise hand alternation, minimise same finger sequences, or whichever criteria you prefer.

For longhand, contractions such as "can't, won't, haven't" etc can also be added so that the apostrophe is automatically added. "i" can be autocapitalised to "I".

A sample is shown below from my list of abbreviations which grows with time. I would suggest that for the most frequent words, the shortest possible abbreviation is used even if it is not intuitive. You type these words the most so they're easily memorized. I sometimes draw on Proword's list of abbreviations and change them to suit me. For abbreviations which use numbers such as "g8" for "great", the number itself can be set as a postfix to expand the abbreviation in Phrase Express. Add a space to the phrase content of the word so the space is automatically input. Numbers 3 and 8 which are the most easy to reach are recommended for the lesser frequent of two words which use the same consonants, and so need to be differentiated.

See Also

Autocomplete 1.2
TypingAid v2.19d - Word AutoCompletion Utility
Asutype - autocorrect software

about = ab
above = abo|av
actual = ac
after = af
again = ag
all = l
almost = lm
along = al
also = ao
always = aw
America = amc
and = n
animal = ani|ai
another = anr|ae
answer = ans|ar
any = ne
anyway = nw
are = r
area = aa
are you = ru
are you okay with = rukw
around = rnd|ro
away = ay
be = b
because = bc
been = bn
before = bf
began = bga|ba
begin = bgn|bi
being = bng|bg
below = bl
best = bs
between = bt|tw|bw
book = bk
both = bo|bh
but - bu
by the way = btw
call = cl
came = ca
can = c
can't = cn
change = ch
children = chd
city = cy
close = cs
come = cm
could = cd
country = cty
different = df
does = ds
doing = dg
done = dn
don't = d
down = dw
each = e|ea
earth = erh
easy = es
eight = 8
English = en|eng
enough = nf
even = ev|vn
ever = er
every = ey
example = x
familiar = fml
family = fam|faml
father = ftr|fhr
feet = f3|f8
find = fd
finding = fdg
fine = fn
first = fs
five = 5
follow = fl
follower = flr
food = fod|fu
foot = ft
for = f
for example = fx
forget = fg
form = fo
found = fnd|fw
four = 4
from = fm
future = fut
gave = gv|ga
get = g
girl = gl
give = gi
going = gg
good = gd
great = g8
ground = gr
group = gp
grow = gw
hadn't = hdt
happen = hpn|ha
happened = hpd
happening = hpng
hasn't = hst
hate = h8
have = h
haven't = ht
having = hg
head = hd
hear = h3
help = hp
here = hr
high = hh
home = hm
hope = ho
hoping = hpg
house = hs
how = hw
I'm = m
image = img
imagine = mgn|imgn
important = imp|ip
Indian = idn
into = nt|i2
is it = zt
it is = tz
it's = s
just = j
keep = kp
kind = kd
kind of = kf
know = kw|kn
large = lg
later = lr
lead = ld
learn = lrn|l3
learned = lrd|lrnd
leave = lev
left = le
letter = ler
life = lf
light = lt
like = lk
line = ln
list = ls
little = ll
live = li
look = lc
love = lv
made = md
make = mk
manage = mg
many = mn
mean = m3
might = mt
mile = mi
miss = mis
more = mr (remove full stop from postfixes)
most = mo
mother = mot
mountain = mtn
move = mv
much = mc
must = ms
name = na
near = nr
need = nd
never = nv
next = nx
night = nit
nine = 9
number = nm
often = ofn
okay = k
okay so = ks
okay so now = ksn
one = 1
only = ol|oy|nl
other = ot
over = ov
page = pg
paper = pp
part = pt
people = p
picture = pic
place = pl
plant = plt
play = p3|pla
please = ps|pz
point = pn
probably = pr|prl|prb
problem = pb
question = qn
quick = qk
quickly = qkl|ql
quite = q
read = rd
really = ry
reason = rs
right = ri|rit|rt
river = rv
run = rn
said = sd
same = sa
say = sy
says = sz
school = scl
second = sc
see = se
seen = sen
sentence = stc
seven = 7
should = shd
shouldn't = sht|shn
show = sh
side = sid
sign = s9
single = sng
six = 6
small = sml
some = sm
someone = som|smn
something = sg
sometimes = st
soon = sn
sorry = sry
sort of = sf
sound = snd
speak = spk
spell = sp|spl
spelling = spg|splg
start = sta
state = stt
statement = stm
stay = sty
steal = stl
still = sl
stop = stp
story = soy|sto
study = sdy
such = su
sure = sr
take = t8
talk = tlk
tell = tl
than = ta
thank you = tu|tku
thanks = tx|thx|tns
that = tt
the = t
their = ter
them = tm
then = tn
there = tr
these = tes
they = ty
thing = tg|thg
think = tnk|tk
this = ts
those = tos
though = th
thought = tht
three = 3
through = thr
time = ti
to be = tb
together = tog
took = tok
tree = t3
two = 2
under = ndr|udr
until = til
use = z
very = v
wait = w8
walk = wa
want = wu
was = o
watch = wch
water = wat|wtr|wer
week = wek
well = w3
well done = wld
went = w9
were = wr
we've = wev|wv
what = wt
what's = ws
when = wn
where = wh
which = wi
while = wli|whl
white = wht
whole = hl
why = y
why did = yd
will = wl
with = w
without = wo
work = wk
world = wrl
would = wd
yeah = yea
year = y3
yes = ye
you = u
you'd = ud
young = yg
your = ur
you're = yr