Shorthand is an abbreviated and symbolic writing method used to increase the speed and brevity of writing compared to longhand. The practice of writing in shorthand is known as stenography. The main goal of shorthand is to record spoken language quickly and efficiently, often at the pace of natural speech.
The main types of shorthand are:
Symbol-based vs. Alphabet-based: Most classic shorthand systems, like Pitman and Gregg, use unique symbols, strokes, and geometric shapes to represent sounds or whole words, rather than individual letters. This allows for very high writing speeds (often over 100 words per minute).
Alphabet-based systems, like Speedwriting, Dutton Speedwords and Teeline, use simplified letters and abbreviations, making them generally easier to learn but not as fast. For more details on Speedwriting to the post.
Phonetic vs. Orthographic: Phonetics deals with how words are pronounced, while orthography deals with how they are written. Many symbol-based systems, such as Pitman and Gregg, are phonetic, meaning they are based on the sounds of words. This is different from the spelling of words in traditional longhand writing.
Machine Shorthand: This uses a specialised keyboard (Stenotype) to type phonetically, with multiple keys pressed at once to form words, phrases, and even entire sentences. It is the dominant method for court reporters and live captioning as it can achieve very high speeds and provides a typed transcript.
Some Examples
