Choosing a steno theory: Difference between revisions

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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.

Freely available steno theories
	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

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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.

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-A steno theory is the set of rules a stenographer learns that allows them to convert words to steno outlines. There are several steno theories available to learn (some free), and it is easy to become overwhelmed with the choices you have. If you are ever unsure, we recommend starting off with [https://lapwing.aerick.ca Lapwing theory]. However, if you would like to learn more about other available steno theories (and why you might want to learn them), feel free to give this page a read.
+{{Cleanup}}
-== The rationale for multiple theories ==
+When deciding which steno [[theory]] to learn, there are many factors to consider.
-A common question for those unfamiliar with stenography is, why are there multiple steno theories? Machine stenography has been around for over a hundred years, so it may seem strange that there is no "standardized" steno theory. The reason for this is that English a complicated language.
-=== Homophones ===
+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, [[Personalizing your dictionary|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.
-First of all, there are many exceptions and edge cases. Different theories take a different stance on how to resolve these exceptions. A method that works well for one person may not be effective for another person.
-Constructing outlines for homophones (words that sound the same but are spelled different) is a common difference between steno theories. In Lapwing theory and Plover theory, a word's outline can differ depending on if a homophone exists. For example, the "ee" sound as in "seem" can be either <code>AOE</code> or <code>AE</code>. The word "cream" has no homophones, so it is given <code>AOE</code>. However, the word "team" has a homophone, and thus it is given <code>AE</code>. This isn't ideal because it relies on having to stop and think if a word has any homophones. However, for people who have no problem memorizing these exceptions, this is a perfectly good method.
-Some theories deal with homophones entirely [[Glossary#Orthography|orthographically]]. So the words "tear" and "hear" would be written with the same vowel chord, despite being pronounced differently. This is very consistent spelling-wise, but some people may prefer not having to think about spelling—especially when transcribing spoken word.
-Steno theories can also handle homophones by just adding an extra stroke at the end. If "teem" is given the TAOEPL outline, then "team" would be written as <code>TAOEPL/R-R</code>. This method can be nice because it requires no extra cognitive load; if the wrong homophone was outputted, it can be corrected easily just by pressing another stroke. However, this method relies on having quick finger speed to make up for the extra stroke.
+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.
-=== Shorter versus longer theories ===
+{| class="wikitable"
-Steno theories can be categorized as short or long. By definition, short steno theories require fewer strokes for any given text—words are abbreviated and compressed to a great extent. On the other hand, long steno theories require more strokes for any given text. Short steno theories generally require more cognitive load since there is more mental effort needed to create abbreviated steno outlines. Long theories are more simple, but require fast finger speeds.
+|+ Freely available steno theories
+|-
+!  !! 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
+|}
-Ideally, a stenographer would have great mental agility and be able to write many strokes a second. However, people may be better with one or the other. Choosing a theory that is just right for them can pay off in the learning and speed building process.
+{{Info|text=Unfortunately, all of these theories are based on General North American English.}}
-=== Complexity of English accents and dialects ===
+<!-- this section is written like an advertisement; it may need to be rewritten altogether /hj -->
-English dialects and accents can affect how words are spelled and pronounced. It is difficult to create an effective steno theory that works for all speakers. It is much easier have multiple steno theories that tailor to specific variants of English. That being said, pretty much all steno theories (at time of this writing) are based on North American English.
-== Freely available steno theories ==
+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).
-There are currently three steno theories that are freely available to use. They are fully supported by the Plover app, but have different learning resources that can be found online.
-=== Plover theory ===
+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.
-The Plover app comes with a default theory called Plover. It originated as Mirabai Knight’s own personal theory that she uses for stenocaptioning. As a result, it is quite short, and the default dictionary comes with many abbreviated outlines. However, there isn't a consistent method for writing complicated words with multiple syllables. In fact, some words can only be written using a brief that has to be memorized, or by using inconsistent advanced techniques. These shortfalls often lead to frustration in the learning process.
-=== Lapwing theory ===
-Lapwing theory was created by a community member who wanted to address the shortcomings of Plover theory. It shares many principles with Plover theory, but incorporates new rules—particularly when it comes to writing complicated words. Many regard it as easier to learn than Plover theory due to its improved consistency.
-We recommend starting with Lapwing theory because it is more beginner friendly. For details on how to set up and learn Lapwing theory, see the [https://github.com/aerickt/lapwing-for-beginners/wiki Lapwing for Beginners Wiki].
-=== Platinum theory ===
-A commercial theory for court reporting students taught through YouTube videos.
-== Commercially available steno theories ==
-=== Phoenix ===
-=== Magnum ===
-=== StenEd ===
-=== Realwrite/Realtime ===
-== Which steno theory should you learn? ==
-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, [[Personalizing your dictionary|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.