Choosing a steno theory
When deciding which steno theory to learn, there are many factors to consider.
Ultimately, it does not matter which theory you choose when it comes to speed—it is always possible to add more memorization after learning a theory. After all, customizing your dictionary is part of the speed building process. All of the steno theories listed above have the same basic chords, and it is quite easy to switch in the early stages.
A steno theory is a set of rules used to break down complicated words into steno chords. There are many steno theories available to professionals, and they differ mostly in how much rote memorization is required and how much importance is given to the spelling of words. Theories can also be tailored to a specific dialect of English. For hobbyists, there are three main theories to choose from.
| Description | Learning resources | |
|---|---|---|
| Plover | The default theory that comes with the Plover app. Used by Mirabai Knight, the founder of the Open Steno Project and a professional stenocaptioner. | Various online textbooks |
| Lapwing | A derivative of Plover theory made for hobbyists and designed to be easier to learn. | Online book |
| Platinum | Similar to Plover theory in basics, but primarily used by court reporters. | Video series available on YouTube |
Unfortunately, all of these theories are based on General North American English.
We generally recommend choosing Lapwing theory. It was designed with consistency in mind, and requires less rote memorization than Plover theory. The rules are more defined and less ambiguous, making more complicated words easier to write. The Lapwing theory book is also very comprehensive and covers topics other than writing English words (e.g., symbols, shortcuts, and editing text).
That being said, it is not terribly important which theory you choose. It is not difficult to switch between them after the fact; the basics are all very similar. It also does not matter which theory to choose in terms of speed; a stenographer's speed comes from tailoring their dictionary and adding their own shortcuts that make sense to them.