Stenoscript is a form of shorthand that is largely based on the Latin script, augmented with a relatively small number of dots, lines and other marks that are not readily Unicodified.

In the list below, "—" is used for a long horizontal stroke, and "/" for a long upward stroke. Both connect to a preceding or following letter. "," is used for a short downward curl. There is in addition a short upward curl for the -ing suffix, a final underline (generally handwritten as a downward and backward stroke) for the -ed suffix, and a dot for the plural.

Abbreviations used outside stenoscript and thus found in the main dictionary may not be included. Spellings that follow the basic rules of stenoscript (that is, that words are written phonetically, and short vowels within a word are omitted) are not listed apart from a few high-frequency examples such as sa 'say' and sz 'says'.

Contents: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z — etc.

A

a

1. A word-initial letter ⟨a⟩.

   Thus the word a and its inflection an.

2. The FACE vowel /eɪ/ at the end of a word, or before a final consonant that is not /dʒ, v, z/.

   Note: This final consonant is not written; also, the SQUARE vowel is written this way, as it is analyzed as being the FACE vowel plus r, /eɪr/.

3. The word a.m.
4. The prefix ad-.

ac

1. Abbreviation of accompanyCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (accompanying, accompanied, accompaniment, accompanist, etc.)
2. Abbreviation of accomplishCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (accomplishing, accomplished, accomplishment, etc.)

adm

1. Abbreviation of administerCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (administering, administrate, administration. administrative, administrator, etc.)

af

1. Abbreviation of afterCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

ag

1. Abbreviation of againCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

Ag

1. Abbreviation of AugustCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

ak

1. Abbreviation of actCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
2. Abbreviation of acknowledgeCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (acknowledges, acknowledged, acknowledging, acknowledgement etc.)

aO

1. Abbreviation of aboutCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

ap

1. Abbreviation of appreciateCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (appreciating, appreciated, appreciation, appreciative, etc.)

apx

1. Abbreviation of approximateCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (approximately, approximating, approximated, approximation, etc.)

as

1. Abbreviation of associateCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (associated, associating, association, etc.)

B

b

1. A single consonant /b/ in a word, or a dominant /b/ in a cluster.
2. The sound sequence /biː/.
3. Abbreviation of be, being, or beenCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
4. Abbreviation of by, buy, or byeCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
5. Abbreviation of butCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

B

1. A suffix ending in -ble, optionally with a preceding vowel (-ible, -able).

Bl

1. The suffix B followed by -ly (-ably, -ibly).

bg

1. Abbreviation of beginCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and inflections beginning, began, begun.

bz

1. Abbreviation of busy or businessCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT, etc.

bzmn

1. Abbreviation of businessmanCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

C

c

1. Abbreviation of seeCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and inflections sees, seen, seeing.

   Exception: saw is written s.

2. The consonant /tʃ/.
3. The sound sequence /siː/.

C

1. The sequence circ or its sound.
2. The prefix circum-.

co

1. Abbreviation of company, companies, or etc.Category:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

crp

1. Abbreviation of corporateCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (corporately, corporation, corporative, etc.)

D

d

1. Abbreviation of doCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and inflections doing, did, done and homophone due.

   Exception: dz 'does'.

2. The prefix dis- or des-.
3. The prefix dis- or des-.

D

1. Abbreviation of dayCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

dz

1. does (compare d for 'do, did, done, doing').

E

e

1. A word-initial letter ⟨e⟩.
2. The FLEECE vowel /iː/ at the end of a word, or before a final consonant that is not /dʒ, v, z/. (Note: the final consonant is not written; also, the NEAR vowel is written this way, as it is analyzed as /iːr/.)
3. he.
4. me.

En

1. Abbreviation of easternCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

ev

1. Abbreviation of even, ever, or everyCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

F

f

1. Abbreviation of forCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
2. The prefix for-.
3. The suffix or sequence for(e).

F

1. Abbreviation of full or fullyCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
2. The suffix -full, -fully.

fm

1. Abbreviation of fromCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

G

g

1. Abbreviation of goCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and inflections goes, going, gone.

   Note that g is not used for the inflection went, which is instead abbreviated w—.

2. The sounds /ɡ, ŋɡ, ŋ/.
3. The suffix -ing.

gvt

1. Abbreviation of governmentCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (governmental, governmentalize, etc.)

H

h

1. Abbreviation of haveCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and inflections having, had

   Exception: hz 'has'

hz

1. has (Compare h 'have, had, having'.)

I

i

1. A word-initial letter ⟨i⟩.
2. The PRICE vowel /aɪ/ at the end of a word, or before a final consonant that is not /dʒ, v, z/. (Note: the final consonant is not written; covers the FIRE vowel.)
3. if.
4. is.
5. it and its.

imd

1. Abbreviation of immediateCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (immediately, immediacy, etc.)

J

j

1. A suffix or final syllable /ʃən/ (-tion, -sion, etc.).

Ja

1. Abbreviation of JanuaryCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

K

k

1. The sound /k/.

   Note: /k/ is always written ⟨k⟩. ⟨c⟩ is used for /tʃ/.

2. Abbreviation of canCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
3. Abbreviation of comeCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and inflections coming, came.
4. The prefix con- or com-.

K

1. Abbreviation of counterCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT, prefix counter-, sequence contr.

L

l

1. The sound sequence /ɛl/.
2. Abbreviation of willCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
3. Abbreviation of wellCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
4. Abbreviation of allCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
5. The suffix or final syllable -ly or its sound.

M

m

1. Abbreviation of amCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
2. Abbreviation of himCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
3. Abbreviation of myCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and mine.
4. Abbreviation of manyCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
5. The prefix mis-.
6. The prefix im-.

M

1. Abbreviation of monthCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

mf

1. Abbreviation of manufactureCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (manufacturing, manufactured, manufacturer, etc.)

Mr

1. Abbreviation of MarchCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

My

1. Abbreviation of MayCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

N

n

1. The sound sequence /ɛn/.
2. Abbreviation of inCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
3. Abbreviation of noCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT, inflections none, nor, not, neither, and homophone know.

N

1. The prefix or word-initial sequence inter-, enter-, intr- or entr-.
2. The sound sequence /(V)ntr/.
3. Abbreviation of northCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

ndv

1. Abbreviation of individualCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (individually, individualize, individuality, individualistic, etc.)

ne

1. Abbreviation of anyCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

nfo

1. Abbreviation of informationCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (informational etc.)

Nn

1. Abbreviation of northernCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

nv

1. Abbreviation of neverCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

O

o

1. A word-initial letter ⟨o⟩.
2. The GOAT vowel /oʊ/ at the end of a word, or before a final consonant that is not /dʒ, v, z/. (Note: the final consonant is not written; also, the NORTH and FORCE vowels are written this way, as they are analyzed as /oʊr/.)

   Thus the words or, owe.

3. on.
4. so.

O

1. Abbreviation of outCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT, letter/sound sequence out.

   Derivation aO 'about'

of

1. Abbreviation of off or oftenCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

og

1. Abbreviation of organizeCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (organized, organizes, organizing, organizer, organizable, organization, organizational, organizationally, etc.)

op

1. Abbreviation of opportunity or opportuneCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of those words (opportunely, opportunism, opportunist, etc.)

P

p

1. Abbreviation of upCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
2. Abbreviation of p.m.Category:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT

pn

1. Abbreviation of uponCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

prt

1. Abbreviation of particularCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (particularly, particularity, etc.)

Q

q

1. The sound sequence /ŋk/ or /kw/.
2. The sound sequence /kjuː/.

R

r

1. The START vowel /ɑr/, including the verb are.
2. Abbreviation of her or hersCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
3. Abbreviation of our, ours, or hourCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

rp

1. Abbreviation of representCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (representing, representation, representative, etc.)

rsp

1. Abbreviation of responsibleCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (responsibility etc.)

S

s

1. The sound /s/.

   Note: an orthographic ⟨s⟩ that is pronounced /z/ is transcribed z.

2. Abbreviation of usCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
3. Abbreviation of sawCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
4. The prefix or initial syllable sub-.

   Note: some manuals advise capital S for the prefix sub-.

S

1. The sound sequence /st/ in a word, e.g. it's the transcription of the suffix -ist.
2. The prefix sub-.

   Note: some manuals advise lower-case s for the prefix sub-.

3. Abbreviation of southCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

sit

1. Abbreviation of situationCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (situational, situationally, etc.)

Sn

1. Abbreviation of southernCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

spc

1. Abbreviation of specifyCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (specifying, specified, specific, specifically, specification, etc.)

st

1. Abbreviation of satisfyCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT and related forms of that word (satisfying, satisfied, satisfactory, satisfactorily, satisfaction, etc.)

sz

1. says (compare sa 'say'.)

T

t

1. Abbreviation of atCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
2. Abbreviation of to or tooCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

T

1. The prefix trans-.

U

u

1. A word-initial letter ⟨u⟩.
2. The GOOSE and NEW/UNION vowels /uː/ and /juː/ at the end of a word, or before a final consonant that is not /dʒ, v, z/. (Note: the final consonant is not written; also, the CURE vowel (-ure, -oor etc.) counts as /uːr/~/juːr/.)

   Thus the words you, your; also derivative yours

3. The prefix un-.

U

1. Abbreviation of underCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT, prefix under-.

V

v

1. Abbreviation of ofCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
2. Abbreviation of veryCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
3. The suffix or final syllable -tive or -ive.

V

1. Abbreviation of overCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT, prefix over-.

W

w

1. The MOUTH vowel /aʊ̯/, including the HOUR vowel.
2. Abbreviation of weCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
3. Abbreviation of wereCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
4. Abbreviation of who or whomCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

W

1. Abbreviation of weekCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
2. Abbreviation of westCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

wa

1. Abbreviation of whereCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

wc

1. Abbreviation of whichCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

wn

1. Abbreviation of oneCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

Wn

1. Abbreviation of westernCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

wz

1. Abbreviation of whoseCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

w—

1. Abbreviation of withCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
2. Abbreviation of wentCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

w—O

1. Abbreviation of withoutCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

X

x

1. The sound sequence /ɛks/ or /ks/.
2. The suffix or final sequence /iəs/ (-ious, -eous, -eus).
3. The suffix or final syllable /ʃəs/ (-tious, -cious, -xious).
4. The suffix or final syllable /ʃəl/ (-tial, -cial).

Y

y

1. The CHOICE vowel /ɔɪ̯/.
2. Abbreviation of whyCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
3. The suffix -ry or -rry.

Y

1. Abbreviation of yearCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

Z

z

1. The sound /z/, regardless of spelling.

   Note: plural /s/, /z/ or /əz/ in nouns is instead indicated by an optional dot under last letter; 3sg /s/, /z/ or /əz/ in verbs is not written at all, except for hz 'has', sz 'says', dz 'does'

2. The sounds /ʃ/, /ʒ/, or the sequence /ziː/.
3. Abbreviation of as, was, his, or sheCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

—

Usage notes:

• This line may be written low, along the baseline, or high, at x-height, as convenient for whichever letters it links to. For example, with mo—n for 'more than', the dash is likely to be written at x-height, as in handwriting it can link to the o and n at that height.
• An en or em dash is doubled, like a wide ⹀, to distinguish it from this mark.

—

1. Abbreviation of theCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
2. The letter sequence ⟨th⟩.
3. The sound sequences /(V)nd/, /(V)nt/.
4. The suffixes or sequences mand, mend, mond, and -ment.

   This may be doubled:

   a— — [amendment]Category:English terms with collocations#STENOSCRIPT

—a

1. Abbreviation of theyCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

—oz

1. Abbreviation of thoseCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

—r

1. Abbreviation of their or thereCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

—s

1. Abbreviation of thisCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

—t

1. Abbreviation of thatCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

—z

1. Abbreviation of theseCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.

Other

/

1. The sound sequence /rd/, /rt/, or /rk/ (whether spelled ⟨rk⟩ or ⟨rc⟩).
2. The suffix or sequence -ward.

,

1. The suffix -(V)nce or -(V)nse (-ance, -ence, -anse, -ense, etc.)
2. The suffix -ity.

+

1. Abbreviation of andCategory:English abbreviations#STENOSCRIPT.
   • 1950, Dana F. Kellerman, chapter 1, in Catherine M. Lang, Elizabeth J. Ryan, editors, Stenoscript abc Shorthand, SRA edition, published 1968, Review IV, page 7:

     I h a kr⸼ i i a gd kr wn i rn⸼ i hz a gd mtr⸼ i i g bd, I k h i fx⸼ i e b i, e k pa e f i⸼ i I c a btr kr, I k b i⸼ I h sm mne + I k pa fr i⸼

     I have a car. It is a good car when it runs. It has a good motor. If it goes bad, I can have it fixed. If he buys it, he can pay me for it. If I see a better car, I can buy it. I have some money, and I can pay for it.

     Category:English terms with quotations#STENOSCRIPT

   This is only used for the conjunction 'and'. The sound and letter sequence /and/ is written —.

  ⸼

1. A full stop (period).

   A dot ⟨.⟩ is not visually distinctive in several types of shorthand, so ⟨ ⸼ ⟩ is used instead.