Choosing a steno theory
A steno theory is the set of rules a stenographer learns that allows them to convert words to stenographic outlines. Ideally, the stenographic outlines are a shorthand form for the words that is quicker to input. There are several English 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 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.
The rationale for multiple English steno theories
A common question for those unfamiliar with stenography is, why are there multiple steno theories? And why do they all use the same layout? Machine stenography has been around for over a hundred years, so it may seem strange that there is no "standardized" steno theory. The primary reason for this is that languages are complicated and all people interpret the language they speak in their own unique way. English, in particular, has much more variance than other languages. Being one of the most spoken languages in the world, it is very unstandardised in its pronunciation and spelling rules, which vary depending on what regions of the world you are in. Unlike languages like French, the English language has no governing body that defines rules. And for the spelling rules that are somewhat standard, such as for General American English or British English spelling, they still poorly reflect the pronunciation, largely due to the many phonological changes English has undergone through the centuries.
Being a language with no standard rules, a poor orthography-phonology correspondence, and billions of speakers naturally invites multiple interpretations on how to represent it in shorthand.
Homophones
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 AOE or AE. The word "cream" has no homophones, so it is given AOE. However, the word "team" has a homophone, and thus it is given AE. 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 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 TAOEPL/R-R. 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.
Shorter versus longer theories
Steno theories exist on a vague continuum between short and 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 because the steno outlines closely resemble the output words — long multisyllable words will require as many strokes as there are syllables. The length of a steno theory is often measured by strokes per word.
- Short steno theories require more cognitive load since there is more mental effort needed to create abbreviated steno outlines.
- Long theories require less mental processing going from words to outlines, but require fast stroke speeds of around 6 strokes per second.
Different individuals may be better with one or the other, or somewhere between. Choosing a theory that is just right can pay off in the learning and speed building process. Both types of theories are used in practice to reach professional certified speeds, so it is entirely the preference of the user.
Varieties of English accents and dialects
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 and writers. For phonetic theories, it is much more practical to 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.
Open steno theories
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
See also: Plover theory
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
See also: 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 Lapwing for Beginners Wiki.
Proprietary steno theories
Platinum theory
See also: Platinum theory
A free but proprietary theory for court reporting students available for download on the Platinum steno website taught through YouTube videos.
Phoenix theory
See also: Phoenix theory
A theory known for patenting the Vowel Omission Principle that reduced conflicts while still allowing the theory to remain highly phonetic.
Magnum theory
See also: Magnum theory
A brief-heavy steno theory used by Mark Kislingbury, the current record holder for stenography transcription at 370 wpm at 95.4% accuracy.
StenEd theory
See also: StenEd theory
Possibly the most popular stenographic theory in the industry.
Realwrite/Realtime theory
See also: Realwrite/Realtime theory
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, 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.