Theory Review, -shun Sound

A solid background in one's steno theory is essential to learning to write quickly. So without further ado, I'm going to bring you along on my journey to review my steno theory book, and hopefully we all will benefit.

Schoolhouse Rock was slightly before my time, but I still remember hearing about it.  Glancing at chapter 22 of my StenEd theory book reminded me of this video, so I might as well post this. Some of it's fast, but it's repetitive enough to be able to catch the chorus and the little words that so often get dropped when the dictation gets fast, like and, or, that, this, etc. To practice to this video, write only clear outlines, drop when you have to, and/or use a program to slow it down (click here to learn how).

So here are a few words that appear in this lesson and their outlines. Write them by sight and then write the letter below by sight. Better still, flip to the section in your theory book that covers this and write those by sight too. Some come up a lot in the judicial system, so that's why I've shortened them to one stroke.

deliberation DLIBGS, foundation FOUNGS, examination KPMGS, conjunction KWUNGS, junction JUNGS, function FUNGS, contemplation KPLAIGS, inebriation NAOEBGS, education EGS, enumeration NAOUMGS, termination TERMGS, variation VAIRGS, application PLI* BGS, qualification KWAUFGS, hesitation HEGS, signification SIG/F*BGS (F*BGS stroke can be used for -fication endings)

And  here are some more that are worth mentioning (MENGSDZ -- ha!)
But when in doubt, write it out!

medication MEFGS      celebration SPWRAIGS     completion PLEGS
admission DMIGS        location LAEGS              probation PROEBGS
confession KWEFGS       discretion SKREGS        expression SKPREGS
permission PERMGS     proposition PROPGS       explosion SKPLOEGS
promotion PROEMGS   conclusion K-GS              concussion  KUNGS
execution SKAOUGS   confusion KWAOUFGS      prosecution PR-GS
convention KWENGS   suspension SPENGS         description DRIPGS
perception PREPGS      conversion KWERGS        concession SKEGS
physician F-GS            discussion SKUGS

Word Families

Another quick post today, as I'm doing takes this morning. I'm a big briefer and have been since the beginning. I can remember getting singled out in class for briefing words that kept coming up in dictation after dictation just because they weren't supplied by my teachers or our theory book.

These days I'm adding fewer single briefs unless they're really common or part of a word family. So make it your goal this week to focus on word families, and you'll become a better steno writer and court reporting student before you know it.

Check out the following link to see a free preview of 240 Word Families in Sentence Context which could be extremely helpful to a steno student trying to get a handle on specific word parts or structures.

perform P-FRM
platform PLAFRM
reform R-FRM
uniform YAOUFRM

carry KAER
marry MAER
vary VAER

imply KBLAOI
impose KBOEZ
improve KBRAO*UF

warfare WAFR
welfare WEFR

powerful P-FL
successful S-FL
wonderful W-FL

As a bonus, add in the asterisk to give these an -ly ending.

powerfully P*FL
successfully S*FL
wonderfully W*FL

Consistency is Key in Steno

Just a quick post about one way to make your writing more consistent and thus hesitation-free, especially if you're using StenEd.

Instead of using a consonant on the second stroke of words that end in -y, like STIN/KI, FREN/ZI or KRUN/KHI, consider using the YI ending instead. Those words would become ST*ING/YI, FRENZ/YI, and KRUNCH/YI. For me, it's less to think about when I'm writing at high speeds and a little closer to how I actually hear the word.