Are you STILL working on those conflicts? Still? How do you resolve them? Can you even REMEMBER how you’ve resolved them when called upon to do so in a split-second? If you’re a visual learner or even if you’re not, one method you might want to try is to visualize the conflict resolution.
How do you differentiate words such as canvas/canvass, discrete/discreet, meet/mete? Let the Steno Wizard help you with that!
Let’s say you stroke “canvas” KAN/VAS. Do you write the soundalike word “canvass” the exact same way? Picture this: A police officer canvasses the neighborhood to look for a criminal. It’s dark outside, and he’s holding a flashlight. That flashlight has a bright bulb in it. It shines right in your eyes. Do you see stars or a twinkling light? Starry or twinkling flashlight = asterisk! Insert the asterisk in the second syllable of “canvass”!
Let’s try another one. “Discreet” is stroked STKRAOET. How do you distinguish “discreet” from “discrete”? It helps to know a definition for “discrete.” The Steno Wizard correlates the word “discrete” to mean distinct and separate. If you are distinct about something or want to separate out something, you purposely point it out (like with your index finger). Index finger = asterisk because you’re distinctly pointing to the correct word.
What about “meet” and “mete”? “Meet” is stroked PHAOET. One definition of “mete” is dole, i.e. dole out punishment or mete out punishment. Dole reminds the Steno Wizard of Dole pineapples, and what’s the top of a pineapple look like? Steno Wizard would suggest – you guessed it – an asterisk! (Ah, what about “meat” you ask? Steno Wizard suggests visualizing how it’s spelled and resolve it by writing PHAET.)
How about the words “suite” and “sweet”? Steno Wizard suggests using the asterisk to “dot the ‘i’ in “suite.” Pretend you’re in the OSU band and you’re dotting the ‘i’! This visualization trick works with lien/lean, peer/pier, tear/tier, anti/ante, flair/flare, devil/delve, staid/stayed, gate/gait, sail/sale, seize/sees, slay/sleigh, and probably many more but the Steno Wizard wants to get this done today.
