The Most Popular Shorthand, Ranked
Voting rules: Choose the shorthand you think is the most popular!
Updated on Apr 24, 2024 07:37
In the fast-paced world where communication is key, shortening our words and sentences has become not just common but essential. Across various fields, from professional environments to casual chats, various shorthand methods have streamlined how we convey our messages, becoming indispensable tools for efficiency and clarity.
This site offers you the chance to cast your vote on which shorthand you find the most effective and intuitive. By participating, you not only contribute to a community-driven evaluation but also see how your preferred methods compare to others. Your input helps everyone in selecting the best shorthand for their needs, fostering a community of informed communicators.
What Is the Most Popular Shorthand?
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191votes
Cross · Public domainPitman shorthand
Sir Isaac PitmanDeveloped by Sir Isaac Pitman, it is one of the oldest and most widely used shorthand systems. It is known for its simplicity and speed, making it popular among journalists, secretaries, and students.Pitman shorthand is a system of writing shorthand invented by Sir Isaac Pitman in 1837. It is a phonetic system that uses symbols and abbreviations to represent sounds, words, and phrases. Pitman shorthand is primarily used to write English, but it can be adapted to other languages as well.- Phonetic System: Pitman shorthand is based on a phonetic approach, where symbols and abbreviations represent sounds rather than letters.
- Cursive Writing: The script of Pitman shorthand is in cursive form, with continuous and flowing strokes.
- Vowels: Pitman shorthand uses dots, dashes, and other simple marks to indicate vowel sounds.
- Consonants: Consonant sounds are represented using various lines, curves, and hooks.
- Positional Writing: The position of symbols relative to the writing line indicates different letters or sounds.
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228votes
text from C. R. Needham, written in shorthand by Hubert A. Hagar · Public domainGregg shorthand
John Robert GreggDeveloped by John Robert Gregg, it is another popular shorthand system that is widely used in the United States. It is known for its efficiency and speed, making it popular among business professionals and court reporters.Gregg shorthand is a system of shorthand writing developed by John Robert Gregg in 1888. It is designed to be a faster and more efficient way of transcribing speech or dictation. The system uses simplified and abbreviated forms of words and sounds, allowing the writer to capture information quickly and accurately.- Speed: Can be written up to 280 words per minute
- Simplicity: Simplified alphabet with few basic strokes
- Abbreviations: Uses abbreviations and symbols to represent words or phrases
- Phonetic: Based on phonetics, focusing on sounds rather than spelling
- Vertical Writing: Can be written in a vertical direction, saving space
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327votes
Paddles at English Wikipedia · Public domainTeeline shorthand
James HillDeveloped in the United Kingdom, it is a popular shorthand system that is widely used by journalists and reporters. It is known for its simplicity and speed, making it easy to learn and use.Teeline shorthand is a highly popular system of shorthand writing that is widely used for fast note-taking. It is known for its speed and simplicity, making it accessible to beginners while remaining efficient for experienced users. Teeline was developed with the intention of simplifying traditional shorthand systems, improving legibility, and increasing writing speed.- Speed: Capable of achieving high writing speeds of up to 150 words per minute.
- Simplicity: Designed to be easy to learn and use, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced shorthand writers.
- Phonetic Approach: Based on the principle of representing sounds rather than individual letters, allowing faster transcription.
- Vowels: Uses vowel placement and omission to simplify writing, reducing the number of symbols required.
- Word Grouping: Provides techniques for combining common words, phrases, and letter clusters to further increase writing speed.
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48votesA shorthand system developed in the 1920s, it is known for its simplicity and ease of use. It is popular among students and business professionals who need to take notes quickly and efficiently.Speedwriting is a shorthand system developed to increase writing speed and improve efficiency. It utilizes a combination of symbols, abbreviations, and phonetic rules to represent words and phrases in a condensed form.
- Speed: Allows users to write up to four times faster than longhand
- Simplicity: Features a reduced set of rules and symbols for ease of learning and implementation
- Phonetic Approach: Uses phonetic principles to simplify the representation of sounds
- Word Grouping: Classifies frequently used words into groups, reducing the number of symbols required
- Abbreviations: Includes a wide range of standardized abbreviations for common words and phrases
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522votesA shorthand system developed by Ernest Horn in the 1930s, it is known for its speed and accuracy. It is popular among court reporters and legal professionals.Stenospeed is a popular form of shorthand writing technique that was created in 1936. It was developed as a simplified version of traditional shorthand methods, with the goal of increasing writing speed while maintaining accuracy. Stenospeed is primarily used by court reporters and transcriptionists who need to quickly transcribe spoken words or information. It involves the use of a special keyboard layout and a unique system of abbreviations and shortcuts that allow the writer to capture words and phrases in a more efficient manner.
- Year of Creation: 1936
- Primary Use: Court reporting and transcription
- Method: Simplified shorthand writing technique
- Objective: Increase writing speed while maintaining accuracy
- Keyboard Layout: Special layout designed for faster typing
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67votes
Forkner shorthand
Hamden L. ForknerDeveloped by Hamden L. Forkner in the 1950s, it is a simplified form of shorthand that is easy to learn and use. It is popular among students and business professionals.Forkner shorthand is a system of shorthand writing created by Hamden L. Forkner in 1955. It is designed to be easy to learn and use, using simple strokes and shapes to represent sounds and words. Forkner shorthand is primarily used for personal note-taking and transcription purposes.- Creation Year: 1955
- Simplicity: Designed to be easy to learn and use
- Stroke-based: Uses simple strokes and shapes to represent sounds and words
- Application: Primarily used for personal note-taking and transcription purposes
- Speed: Allows for relatively fast writing and transcription
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715votes
Marlow4 at English Wikipedia · Public domainEclectic shorthand
Emma DearbornA shorthand system developed by John Wesley Kellogg in the late 1800s, it is known for its simplicity and ease of use. It is popular among students and business professionals.Eclectic shorthand is a widely recognized and popular form of shorthand writing. It was developed as a comprehensive system incorporating elements from different shorthand methods to provide an efficient and adaptable shorthand system for everyday use.- Adaptability: Eclectic shorthand is designed to be adaptable to various languages, subjects, and individual writing styles.
- Simplicity: The system significantly reduces the number of strokes required to write words, making it easy to learn and use.
- Consonant-Based: Unlike vowel-based shorthand methods, Eclectic shorthand primarily focuses on representing consonant sounds.
- Alphanumeric Characters: The system utilizes a combination of alphabetic and numeric characters to represent common sounds and syllables.
- Phonetic Representation: Eclectic shorthand emphasizes representing words phonetically, enabling faster writing and comprehension.
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81votes
Marlow4 at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Cross shorthand
John R. CrossA shorthand system developed by Walter B. Cross in the late 1800s, it is known for its speed and accuracy. It is popular among court reporters and legal professionals.Cross shorthand is a widely-used stenographic system designed for fast and efficient note-taking. It was created by John R. Cross in 1887.- Speed: Allows for greater writing speed compared to longhand writing.
- Brevity: Uses symbols and abbreviations to represent words and phrases, resulting in concise notes.
- Simplicity: Features a straightforward and easy-to-learn system of symbols and rules.
- Efficiency: Enables the writer to capture spoken words at a higher speed, minimizing the risk of missing important details.
- Adaptability: Suitable for various languages and subject matters due to its general-purpose nature.
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910votes
Gabelsberger shorthand
Franz Xaver GabelsbergerDeveloped by Franz Xaver Gabelsberger in the early 1800s, it is one of the oldest shorthand systems. It is still used in Germany and Austria, where it is popular among court reporters and legal professionals.Gabelsberger shorthand is a widely recognized shorthand system developed by Franz Xaver Gabelsberger in the early 19th century. It gained immense popularity and became the predominant shorthand system in German-speaking countries.- Writing Speed: Gabelsberger shorthand enables writing at speeds of up to 200 words per minute.
- Letter Representation: Each letter is represented by a unique symbol or stroke.
- Phonetic Approach: Gabelsberger shorthand is a phonetic system that focuses on representing sounds rather than spelling.
- Word Abbreviations: The system includes extensive word abbreviations to increase writing speed even further.
- Simplified Characters: Gabelsberger shorthand employs simplified characters to facilitate faster writing.
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107votes
Vanisaac at en.wikipedia · Public domainDuployan shorthand
Jean-Baptiste DuployéDeveloped by Emile Duployé in the 1860s, it is a popular shorthand system that is still used in France and other French-speaking countries. It is known for its simplicity and speed.Duployan shorthand is a system of shorthand writing developed by Jean-Baptiste Duployé in the 19th century. It is a phonetic shorthand that focuses on representing sounds rather than individual letters.- Adaptability: Can be adapted to write various languages.
- Phonetic: Based on phonetic representation of sounds.
- Simplicity: Relatively easy to learn and use.
- Linear: Written in a linear fashion, allowing for faster writing.
- Sound representation: Representations of sounds rather than individual letters.
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Discussion
Ranking factors for popular shorthand
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SpeedThe shorthand system should be able to transcribe text at a faster pace than conventional writing.
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AccuracyThe shorthand system should be accurate, with minimal errors in transcription.
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Ease of learningThe shorthand system should be easy to learn and follow.
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FlexibilityThe shorthand system should be versatile and adaptable to various topics and subjects.
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Widely usedThe shorthand system should have a significant user base and should be widely used in various professions and industries.
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Availability of resourcesThe shorthand system should have an ample amount of resources such as textbooks and online tutorials that can help the learners.
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ArticulationThe shorthand system should have a well-structured articulation that allows the writer to take proper care of the spelling and punctuation of the shorthand notes.
About this ranking
This is a community-based ranking of the most popular shorthand. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or shorthand is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!
Statistics
- 2498 views
- 214 votes
- 10 ranked items
Voting Rules
A participant may cast an up or down vote for each shorthand once every 24 hours. The rank of each shorthand is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.
More information on most popular shorthand
Shorthand is a writing system that has been used for centuries to record information quickly and efficiently. It involves using a set of symbols, abbreviations, and shortcuts to represent words and phrases. The popularity of shorthand has grown over time, with many people using it in their daily lives to take notes, transcribe speeches, and more. Today, there are many different shorthand systems in use, each with its own unique set of symbols and rules. Some of the most popular shorthand systems include Pitman, Gregg, Teeline, and Handywrite. Each of these systems has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the choice of which one to use often depends on personal preference and the specific needs of the user.
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