Quick tip

Here's a quick tip that has helped more than one reporter in a pickle.   Save your dictionary and attach it to an email to yourself.  You can save it in both your CAT software's file type and as an RTF file (for possible conversion).  Now you have it saved online! 

Interesting idea...

Steno Wizard has been experimenting with a new concept that incorporates dragging in the number bar.  It's been easy for a couple of phrases, so I'll share...

And you have SKPUF   to add "a" to the phrase drag in the number bar when you hit the "F" key.
1K3U6 is "and you have a."

That you have THAUF to add "a" to the phrase with the number bar, 245U6 is "that you have a."

You have UF, U6 is "you have a."

Still sort of experimental at this stage in my writing, but I'm playing around and expanding the wonderful world of our magnificent steno keyboard.    Just sharing.

Double is no trouble!

SW uses the vowel elimination technique to solve this little dilemma.

Double is written as TK-BL.

Now we can use TKOUBL for Do you believe and TKUBL did you believe -- without any worrisome conflicts.  Yay!

Oh, the wonderful world of Auto Brief!

If you've got fairly recent versions of CaseCat or Eclipse, you must explore the briefing functions.  Absolutely wonderful feature.  Eclipse's is called Auto Brief, and Case's is Brief It (I think).  I'm more familiar with Eclipse's Auto Brief, and I truly love it!  I suggest you look in your software manual and find out how this feature works. 

In Eclipse, if I fingerspell anything, it will generate a brief for me.  If I write a 3-stroker two times, it will generate a brief for me.  Imagine writing cul-de-sac about a zillion times in a weeklong trial, and your briefing feature suggests K*U -- bang!  Instant speed.  I have mine set to insert an asterisk in the suggestion, and that seems to be working well.  I had to fingerspell really quick the name Towanna, and we ALL would want a brief for a multisyllabic name like that - TAO*PB.  Wow!

The biggest factor with improved realtime IMHO is being able to write cleanly and keep up with the speaker.  Use all the tricks available to you. 

Please note I'm not an Eclipse snob.  I'm certain Case has similar features in their briefing feature.  Whether you're a Case afficionado or huge Eclipse fan, we're ALL in this race together for realtime perfection.

Computer Terms

Compatibility KPABLT
Computer KPAOURT
Computerization KPAOURGS
Computerized KPAOURTSD (a little Philly shift)
Database TK*B or TKAEUBS
Digital TKEUPBLG
Email AOEPL or AOE/PHAEUL
Facebook TPAEUB    
Gigabyte  TKPW*BT
Google TKPWAOLG
Hardware H*R
Internet SPWERPBT
Intranet SPWARPBT
Keyboard KAOEBD
Laptop HRAPT
Megabyte  PH*BT
Memory PHERPL
Microsoft PHO*FT
Monitor PHORPBT
Network TPHERBG
PowerPoint PAURPT
Software SW-R
Technical TEBLG
Technology TOELG
Viral SRAOEURL
Virus SRAOEURS
Website/web site/Web site  W*BS
YouTube KWRAO*UBT

The -mp, -mble, and -mple solution...

This technique Steno Wizard got from the Philadelphia Clinic and it has worked wonders! 

Initially, Steno Wizard was taught to two-stroke that -mp ending.  Two strokes!  You have got to be kidding!  We don't even want to think about the mble and mple. 

Anyway, spied this out of the Philly Clinic, and another reporter told me her tweak, and life has been a little less complicated.

Write the -mp ending with the -FRP keys. 

Write the -mble ending with the -FRBL keys.

Write the -mple ending with the -FRPL keys.   Simple (SEUFRPL)! 

Now words like crumble and tumble are so easy to write! 

Thimble, rumble, simple, ample, example, sample, fumble -- suddenly the steno world is full of one-stroke words!   INSTANT SPEED!!

Want to write the word simply in one stroke?  Easy.  Add the asterisk key.  S*EUFRPL.

Enjoy!

Words ending in –tude

Steno Wizard learned the brief for "attitude" way back in theory class.  Here's an expansion of the concept that has worked well.  Enjoy!

Attitude ATD

Altitude ALTD

Aptitude APTD

Fortitude FORTD

Gratitude GRATD

Ineptitude NEPTD

Latitude LATD

Longitude LONGTD

Magnitude MAGTD

Multitude MULTD

Plentitude PLENTD

Solitude SOLTD

Turpitude TURPTD

Q&A BRIEFS EXTRAORDINAIRE EXPANDED

Yes, I do YAO

Yes, sir, I do SYAO


Yes, I do, sir YAOS

Can you tell me KUMT

Could you tell me KOUMT

Would you tell me WOUMT

Are you familiar RUFM

Are you familiar with WRUFM

Is that so STHAS

Isn’t that so STPHAS

Did you have occasion TKUFBGS or TKUFGS

Did you ever have occasion TKUFRBGS or TKUFRGS

How do you pronounce HOUPBS

How fast HOUFZ

About how fast PWOUFZ

Spell your name SPURM

Could you repeat KOURPT

Would it be fair to say WAOFRTS

Can you repeat KURPT

It would be fair to say TWAOFRTS

Is it fair to say ST-FRTS

To the best of my ability TBAOEUBLT

To the best of my memory TBAOEURM

To the best of your ability TBAOURBLT

To the best of your memory TBAOURM

MULTISYLLABIC WORDS WITH A COMMON ELISION PRINCIPLE EXPANDED

Amplify PLOEUF


Clarification KLAEUFBGS

Clarify KLAEUF

Clarity KLAEURT

Classic KLAFK

Classification KLAFBGS

Classify KLAF

Dignify DOEUF

Diversify DWOEUF

Falsify FOEUF

Horrify HOEUF

identification OEUFBGS

identify OEUF

Justice JUFS

Justification JUFBGS

Justify JUF

Liquefy LOEUF

Magnify MOEUG

modification MOEUFBGS

modify MOEUF

notification NOEUFBGS

notify NOEUF

simplify SPLOEUF

Simplistic SPLEUFK

Signify SNOEUF

Specification SPEFBGS

Specificity SPEFT

Specify SPEF

Terrify TROEUF

verification VOEUFBGS

verify VOEUF

The wonders of glue!

Did you know that both Eclipse and CaseCatalyst have glue command built into the software (SW-R) that you can use to make YOUR life easier when dealing with acronyms?   Apparently, this particular glue function is a command that is incorporated into your alphabets (any and all) and knows that the first letter does not need to be glued to the preceding word.  Steno Wizard has been using this glue function in both the CaseCatalyst and Eclipse software programs for several years and is very happy with the results.  Look in your software's manual for instructions on how to define your alphabets. 

The bi/by/buy/bye debacle! A solution...

Anita Paul (who does realtime seminars around the country) suggests incorporating the -FPLT for the prefix by- PWEU-FPLT and -RBGS for the suffix -by PWEU-RBGS. Bylaw would be PWEU-FPLT/HRAU. Thereby would be THR-/PWEU-RBGS.  Conversely, FPLT - F for forward and RBGS - R for rearward.

SW imagines the -RBGS in the suffix as sort of a hand scootching the word over to the one in the front of it and the -FPLT in the prefix is pulling the prefix over to the word on the right-hand side.

By - PWEU

Bi - PW*EU - Imagine the asterisk dotting the 'i' in this instance for the prefix.

Buy - PWAOEU

And then

Bye - PWAO*EU, Imagine a kid with a pinwheel (sort of the like the little pig in the insurance commercial squealing wee). In SW's imagination, the kid is waving bye with the pinwheel in his hand (like the asterisk key). It works for me...LOL...but I had to come up with some way to remember these for myself!
BONUS BRIEF: good-bye is TKPW*B

What do you think?

Beyond a reasonable doubt, etc.

Learned these from a fellow reporter. 

Beyond a reasonable doubt YAEURD
beyond all reasonable doubt YAURD
beyond a shadow of a doubt YAEURBD
beyond any reasonable doubt YEURD

Enjoy!

Do you know if

Steno Wizard has picked up a new phrase.  In the interest of us all improving our steno writing speed and translation, SW is sharing!

Do you know if DWEUF

Do you know if the DWEUFT

Do you know if it DW*EUFT

Do you know if it is DW*EUFTS

Do you know if this DWEUFTSDZ

Do you know if that DWEUFLTGS

Perhaps you'll like it too! 

Prefixes! Prefixes! Prefixes!

Having lots of prefixes in your dictionary helps with realtime translation immensely.  Here's what is in the Steno Wizard database.   Build, build, build!


Think of entering these with multiple pronunciations that various speakers may use, i.e., eco (echo) or eco (EE-KO).

{xero^}

{xeno^}

{xantho^}

{well-^}

{way^}

{vitro^}

{uni^}

{ultra^}

{tropo^}

{topo^}

{thermo^}

{terra^}

{supra^}

{sub^}

{spermato^}

{spectro^}

{socio^}

{sidero^}

{sesqui^}

{septi^}

{seleno^}

{seismo^}

{sclero^}

{sado^}

{rhodo^}

{retro^}

{repro^}

{recti^}

{quasi^}

{quadri^}

{pyro^}

{psychro^}

{psycho^}

{psychlo^}

{proto^}

{pro^}

{primi^}

{post^}

{poly^}

{pneumo^}

{pluvio^}

{pleo^}

{plagio^}

{piezo^}

{picto^}

{pico^}

{phyto^}

{physio^}

{phono^}

{penta^}

{patri^}

{pari^}

{para^}

{pan^}

{paleo^}

{oxy^}

{out-of-^}

{ortho^}

{opti^}

{ophthal^}

{omni^}

{oligo^}

{oleo^}

{oculo^}

{octa^}

{obli^}

{ob^}

{nympho^}

{nocti^}

{neo^}

{neo-^}

{necro^}

{nano^}

{myo^}

{morpho^}

{mis^}

{milli^}

{micro^}

{meta^}

{meso^}

{megalo^}

{mega^}

{matri^}

{magneto^}

{lyso^}

{lun^}

{lumbo^}

{longi^}

{litho^}

{lith^}

{levo^}

{leuco^}

{labio^}

{klepto^}

{kilo^}

{keto^}

{juxta^}

{iso^}

{ir^}

{intra^}

{inter^}

{imagi^}

{im^}

{ideo^}

{hypo^}

{hyper^}

{hygro^}

{hydro^}

{hydra^}

{horti^}

{homo^}

{homeo^}

{holo^}

{histo^}

{hexachloro^}

{hexachlor^}

{hexa^}

{hetero^}

{hepta^}

{hemi^}

{helio^}

{hecto^}

{halo^}

{gyro^}

{giga^}

{geo^}

{geno^}

{fungi^}

{fratri^}

{forth^}

{fissi^}

{fibro^}

{ferro^}

{extra^}

{exo^}

{ex-^}

{every^}

{ever^}

{ethno^}

{erythro^}

{ergo^}

{equi^}

{epilepto^}

{epi^}

{endo^}

{emu^}

{electro^}

{ecto^}

{eco^}

{dyna^}

{dextro^}

{deutero^}

{desi^}

{demi^}

{deca^}

{cyto^}

{cyber^}

{cyano^}

{cyan^}

{cupri^}

{crypto^}

{cryo^}

{cruci^}

{cranio^}

{cosmo^}

{contra^}

{clino^}

{clado^}

{circum^}

{chryso^}

{chrono^}

{chromo^}

{chondro^}

{chloro^}

{chiropract^}

{chemo^}

{chalco^}

{centro^}

{centi^}

{cata^}

{cario^}

{calci^}

{by^}

{bromodichloro^}

{bio^}

{biblio^}

{benzo^}

{bathy^}

{bacterio^}

{athero^}

{astro^}

{arthro^}

{archeo^}

{aqui^}

{apo^}

{anti^}

{ante^}

{anemo^}

{ambi^}

{alti^}

{allo^}

{algi^}

{albo^}

{agro^}

{after^}

{aero^}

{adrenocortico^}

{adren^}

{admiss^}

{actino^}

{acro^}

{acousto^}

{accu^}

{abio^}

{aber^}

{Mc^}{-|}

{Mac^}{-|}

{Eichen^}

{Ameri^}

{Ameri^}

Number Briefs...

Number Briefs



NUMBER                      STENO

¼                                     14*
½                                    12*
¾                                    34*
2000                          TWAO   or TWOU
2001                         TWUN
2002                        TWAOU
2003                        TWAOE
2004                        TWOUR
2005                        TWAOEUF
2006                        TWEUFPL (Twix = TW*EUFPL)
2007                        TWEFPB
2008                       TWAEUT  or TWAEUGT
2009                       TWAOEUPB (Twine = TWAO*EUPB)
2010                        TWEPB
2011                        TWEL  or TWENL
2012                        TWEF
2013                        TWEURT
2014                        TWORT
2015                        TWEUFT

The "Ameri" Prefix

Define the word part "Ameri" as a prefix and watch some of those unique proper names actually translate!  Steno Wizard was in court one day and didn't even realize this gem was in the SW steno database until the attorney said something along the lines of the company is named either "Amerisure" or "Amerishield" or "Ameristaff" -- and SW was quite astonished to notice this little lovely section looking quite readable with no editing involved.

This has sparked an idea to think of some other more unique word parts that may be input as prefixes and/or suffixes to aid in realtime translation. 

Perhaps -shner, -enberg, -heimer, Eichen- or owitz?

Added August 2012 -- Just had a witness say she worked for Americare and ta-da!  We just can't take our dictionaries for granted.  Amazing...

What will be will be...

Steno Wizard struggled for several years with the -le ending and the brief "will" written with the final side -L key.  SW realizes some reporters use the initial side HR-/L for the "will" brief, but that wasn't the way SW initially learned it in school (or at least the final side -L was something that stuck for oh so many years).  Anyway, to resolve this sticky wicket, "will" began to be written out WEUL and the final side -L key is defined as the "le" ending in the steno database (dictionary).  That solution seems to be working well.

What about those wonderful phrasing possibilities with "will be" and "it will" you ask?  Steno Wizard writes "will be" as a stack WEUBL and "it will" as TWEUL.   One can also write "it will be" in one stroke as well TWEUBL.  

The word "twill" has the asterisk inserted into the stroke, sort of like the button on a piece of twill clothing.  The proper name Will also has the asterisk inserted into the stroke.

will WEUL
will be WEUBL
it will TWEUL
it will be  TWEUBL

This solution may or may not work for you, but it's food for thought nonetheless (TPHOPBLS).

By the way, SW has been using T-L for the word "typical" and T*L for the word "typically" -- so SW hasn't missed the final "L" key for "will" quite so much.

Phrasing to Gain Speed!

Speed is an essential component to great realtime translation.  In order to have control, a reporter needs to be able to keep up with the speaker.  Phrasing is one of those methods.  Here's some phrasing that Steno Wizard has been exploring recently with great success.  SW has been trying to listen to and think of these phrases as one word, and that seems to be working well.

make sure MAEURB
going to TKPWOGT
going to the TKPWOGTD
is going to STKPWOGT
is going to the STKPWOGTD
going to be TKPWOEB
going to happen TKPWOEP
can you tell me KUPLT
what do you do WHAUD
what did you do WHA*UD (* dots the i in the word did -- hokey but works!)
have you gone SRUG
let me HREPL
tell me TEPL
may I approach PHOEFP
may we approach PHAOEFP
thank you, your Honor THAURPB
thank you, Judge THAUPBLG
it would have been TWOFB
behalf of the PWHAFT (born from stacking!)
a bunch of BAEUFRPB
a bunch of the BAEUFRPBT
up to TOUP (born from stacking!)

For Good Measure...

MAERB measure

M*MT millimeter

SMERT or SMAOERT centimeter

KLORMT kilometer

M*LT milliliter

M*G milligram

K*G kilogram

G*BT gigabyte

M*BT megabyte

K*BT kilobyte

SKWAOFT square foot

SKWAOPBLG square-footage

SKWAOEFT square feet

SKWAEURPL square mile

SKWAEURT square root

SKWAEUFRPBLG square inch

TPAOPBLG footage

KWRARPBLG yardage

PHAOEUPBLG mileage

SWREU century

TKAEUBGD decade

KHR-B caliber

STPREPBS circumference

PHEURPZ miles per hour

PHEURZ miles an hour

Avoiding the "EN" Word Boundary Issue

Steno Wizard uses a technique learned from the book written by Amy Bowlen and Kathy DiLorenzo called Realtime Captioning… The VITAC Way to distinguish the "en" potential word boundary issue that an aspiring realtime reporter may have from time to time.

First of all, one must designate the stroke EPB as only a prefix stroke. 

Next, for the -en suffix, just use the final -PB and define it as delete space en.  It should automatically connect to the previous stroke.  This will solve a multitude of issues.  Words like enlighten, sweeten, beaten, ashen, fallen, blacken, and golden are no longer an issue. 

The final -PB can also be used for the suffix -in and -on in words such as raisin, mason, bison, carton, and cabin.  You will have to enter the correct spelling for each of these types of words into your steno database (dictionary), but it will be well worth the effort.

Steno Wizard also uses *PB for the ending in' -- for words like chillin' -- of course, Steno Wizard works in court so sometimes witnesses will say things like they were chillin'...not to be confused with chilling.   Doesn't come up too often but it's always nice to have options!