Pitman Shorthand Basics Notes for SSC Stenographer: Strokes, Vowels and Outlines

Shorthand is the heart of the SSC Stenographer skill test, because the candidate has to write the dictation at 80 words per minute (Grade D) or 100 words per minute (Grade C) and then transcribe it. The most common system in India for English is the Pitman shorthand. These Pitman shorthand basics notes for SSC Stenographer explain the principles, the consonants, the vowels, the signs, the short forms and a clear practice plan in simple language, followed by 20 practice questions. Read them with the SSC Stenographer Exam Pattern and Syllabus Notes, Shorthand Dictation Practice and Speed Notes and Transcription Skills Notes for SSC Stenographer notes.

What Is Shorthand and Why Is It Needed?

Shorthand (stenography) is a system of the rapid writing that uses the simple strokes, the signs and the abbreviations to write the speech as fast as it is spoken. A normal person writes only about 20 to 30 words a minute in long hand, but a speaker dictates at 80 to 120 words a minute, so the long hand cannot keep pace. The stenographer writes the dictation in the shorthand and then reads the notes and types the matter in full; this is called the transcription.

• The word stenography comes from the Greek words stenos (narrow) and graphein (to write).
• The famous English systems: Pitman shorthand (the phonetic system, 1837, by Sir Isaac Pitman), Gregg shorthand (John Robert Gregg, 1888) and Teeline (James Hill, 1968).
• The SSC does not force a system; the candidate writes the dictation in the shorthand of his choice and the transcription is judged. In India most candidates use the Pitman system.
• Shorthand needs a regular practice, like learning a language; a good speed cannot be gained in a few days.

Basic Principles of Pitman Shorthand

• Phonetic writing: a word is written as it is sounded and not as it is spelt. The silent letters are not written, for example "knight" is written as the sounds n-i-t (the sound of "nite").
• Consonants are written first as the strokes; the vowels are added as the small dots and dashes by the side of the strokes (many vowels are not written in the speed writing; the position of the outline shows the vowel).
• Light and heavy strokes: the same shape drawn thin gives a light sound (the voiceless consonant) and drawn thick (shaded) gives the heavy sound (the voiced consonant). For example P (light) and B (heavy).
• Position of writing: an outline is written above the line (the first position), on the line (the second position) or through the line (the third position) to show the vowel of the word.
• Ruled paper (a notebook with the line) and the soft pencil or pen help to show the line position and the thick and thin strokes.
• The writing is joined: a word is made by joining the strokes without lifting the pen; this is called an outline.

The Consonants: Light and Heavy Pairs

There are 24 consonants in the Pitman system. The pairs of the light and the heavy strokes (P-B, T-D, CH-J, K-G, F-V, TH-DH, S-Z and SH-ZH) make eight pairs, so it is easy to remember them in the pairs.

The Vowels: The Vowel Scale and Positions

• A heavy dot or dash shows the long vowel and a light dot or dash shows the short vowel.
• The place (first, second and third) is the position of the vowel sign near the stroke: the beginning, the middle or the end of the stroke; in the speed writing the vowel is written by the position of the whole outline (above, on or through the line).
• The vowels can be remembered by the sentence: "ee, ay, ah, aw, oh, oo" as the six long vowels.

Circles, Loops, Hooks and Other Signs

Tip: Learn the signs in this order: the straight strokes, the curves, the vowels, the circles, the loops, the hooks, the halving and doubling. Do not move to the next sign until the earlier one is automatic.

Short Forms, Contractions and Phrasing

• Short forms are the special abbreviations for the very common words, written with a single stroke or a small outline, such as: a, the, and, of, to, but, that, which, I, he, you, have, will, would, should, could, with, was, were, is, are, from, for, this, there, their, very, which, be, been, can, our, your, them, they. These words make about 40 to 50 percent of a normal dictation.
• Contractions are the shortened outlines of the long words that are used often, such as government, Parliament, department, committee, important, representative, subject, particular, circumstance, opportunity, administration.
• Phrasing means joining two or more common words in one outline without lifting the pen, such as "I am", "I have", "do not", "it is", "of the", "in the" and "to be". Phrasing gives a big gain in speed.
• Intersection is writing one outline through another for the commonly used phrases or the names.
• Figures are written in the ordinary figures (0 to 9); the words such as hundred, thousand, million have short signs.
• Punctuation: the full stop is written by an X (a small cross) in the Pitman shorthand; the other marks are the same as in the long hand or are dictated; the capital letter is shown by two small lines below the outline.

Shorthand Speed: The Word Count Standard

• A standard word in the shorthand dictation is counted as one word for every 5 letters (or 5 key strokes); the dictation passage is prepared in this way.
• The speed is built step by step: 40, 60, 80, 100 and then 120 words per minute. Practise the dictation at a speed higher than the required speed (for example 100 wpm for Grade D and 120 wpm for Grade C).
• A three-minute test (the short passage) at the full speed is a good daily check, then a full ten-minute passage on the weekends.
• The SSC skill test is qualifying in nature; check the latest notice for the rules, the transcription time and the permissible mistakes (see the Transcription Skills Notes for SSC Stenographer note).

A Practical Practice Plan (First 60 Days)

• Practise for at least 2 hours every day: one hour of the new outlines and one hour of the dictation.
• Read your shorthand notes immediately after the dictation and mark the outlines that you could not read; these are the weak outlines.
• Prepare a personal shorthand notebook for the difficult words and the phrases.
• Use the audio dictation (the recorded passages) and the newspaper editorial passages for variety.

Common Mistakes in Shorthand and How to Avoid Them

• Writing the spelling and not the sound, for example writing the "k" in "know".
• Making the light and the heavy strokes alike, so the outlines for "pay" and "bay" cannot be read.
• Not writing on the correct position (above, on or through the line), which makes the outlines of different words look alike.
• Making the circles in the wrong direction and the hooks too big or too small.
• Writing too slowly with a perfect shape: in the dictation the shape can be a little loose, but it must be readable.
• Not revising the old outlines, short forms and the phrases; the speed falls quickly without the daily practice.
• Poor English: a candidate who does not know the vocabulary and the grammar cannot read his own notes. Revise the English notes regularly.

Important Questions Explained

Question 1: What is shorthand?
Answer: A system of the rapid writing that uses the strokes, the signs and the abbreviations so that the speech can be written as fast as it is spoken.

Question 2: Who developed the Pitman shorthand?
Answer: Sir Isaac Pitman, in 1837.

Question 3: What does the thick (heavy) stroke show in the Pitman shorthand?
Answer: The heavy (voiced) consonant, such as B, D, J, G, V and Z; the thin stroke shows the light consonant.

Question 4: How many positions of the writing are there in the Pitman shorthand?
Answer: Three: above the line (first), on the line (second) and through the line (third).

Question 5: What is a short form?
Answer: A special abbreviation for a very common word, such as "the", "of" and "to".

Question 6: What is phrasing?
Answer: Joining two or more common words in one outline without lifting the pen.

Question 7: At what speed is the dictation given for Grade C and Grade D?
Answer: 100 words per minute for Grade C and 80 words per minute for Grade D, for 10 minutes.

Quick Tips to Remember

• Learn the consonants in the light and heavy pairs; the eight pairs are easy to remember.
• Write by the sound and not by the spelling.
• Learn the short forms first, because they are about half of the dictation.
• Practise at a speed higher than the exam speed.
• Read your notes immediately after every dictation and mark the unreadable outlines.
• Practise daily, because the speed falls fast if you stop.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Writing the silent letters.
• Making the thin and the thick strokes alike.
• Writing at the wrong position (above, on, through the line).
• Practising only the writing and not the reading of the notes.
• Not practising the English vocabulary needed for the transcription.

Quick Revision Points

• Pitman shorthand: 1837; phonetic; 24 consonants; the vowels as dots and dashes.
• Light and heavy pairs: P-B, T-D, CH-J, K-G, F-V, TH-DH, S-Z and SH-ZH.
• Three positions: above, on and through the line.
• Short forms, contractions and phrasing give the speed.
• Dictation: Grade D 80 wpm; Grade C 100 wpm; 10 minutes.
• Practice plan: letters and short forms, then the circles, loops and hooks, then the dictation.

Practice Questions With Answers

1. What is the full form of the word stenography in meaning?
   Answer: Narrow writing (stenos = narrow) (Greek).
2. Who introduced the Pitman shorthand?
   Answer: Sir Isaac Pitman (1837).
3. In which year was the Pitman shorthand introduced?
   Answer: 1837 (Phonetic system).
4. Which shorthand system was developed by John Robert Gregg?
   Answer: Gregg shorthand (1888).
5. How many consonants are there in the Pitman shorthand?
   Answer: 24 (Light and heavy).
6. Which stroke is the heavy pair of P?
   Answer: B (Voiced).
7. Which stroke is the heavy pair of T?
   Answer: D (Voiced).
8. Which stroke is the heavy pair of K?
   Answer: G (Voiced).
9. Which stroke is the heavy pair of S?
   Answer: Z (Voiced).
10. What does a heavy dot show?
    Answer: A long vowel (Light dot: short vowel).
11. How many positions are there for writing an outline?
    Answer: Three (Above, on, through the line).
12. Where is the first position of the outline?
    Answer: Above the line (Vowel place).
13. What are the special abbreviations of the common words called?
    Answer: Short forms (Speed writing).
14. What is joining several words in one outline called?
    Answer: Phrasing (Speed gain).
15. What is the speed of the dictation for the Grade D?
    Answer: 80 words per minute (10 minutes).
16. What is the speed of the dictation for the Grade C?
    Answer: 100 words per minute (10 minutes).
17. How many words are dictated in 10 minutes at 80 wpm?
    Answer: 800 words (Grade D).
18. How many words are dictated in 10 minutes at 100 wpm?
    Answer: 1000 words (Grade C).
19. What is the process of writing the notes in full called?
    Answer: Transcription (Typing).
20. What is the standard word count in the shorthand dictation?
    Answer: 5 letters (strokes) for one word (Standard word).

How to Practise This Topic

1. Learn the 24 consonants and the vowel scale in the first two weeks.
2. Write the short forms and the phrases daily and revise the old ones.
3. Start the dictation after the basic signs and increase the speed slowly.
4. Attempt the practice questions without looking at the answers.
5. Also prepare the written exam: English, Reasoning and General Awareness.

Related Notes and Practice

• SSC Stenographer Exam Pattern and Syllabus Notes
• Shorthand Dictation Practice and Speed Notes
• Transcription Skills Notes for SSC Stenographer
• Stenography Notes
• English Notes
• SSC practice papers

Frequently Asked Questions

What is shorthand?

Shorthand is a system of fast writing that uses the strokes, the signs and the abbreviations to write the speech at the speed of the speaker.

Which shorthand system is the most used for the SSC Stenographer exam?

The Pitman shorthand is the most used system in India for English, although the candidate can use the system of his choice.

What is the speed of the SSC Stenographer dictation?

The dictation is given at 80 words per minute for Grade D and 100 words per minute for Grade C, for 10 minutes. Check the latest notification for any change.

How many consonants are there in the Pitman shorthand?

The Pitman shorthand has 24 consonants, most of them in the light and the heavy pairs.

What are the light and the heavy strokes?

The light (thin) stroke shows the voiceless consonant like P and the heavy (thick) stroke of the same shape shows the voiced consonant like B.

How are the vowels written in the Pitman shorthand?

The vowels are written as the dots and the dashes at the first, the second or the third place of a stroke; in the speed writing the vowel is shown by the position of the outline.

What are the short forms?

The short forms are the special abbreviated outlines for the very common words such as "the", "of", "to" and "and".

How long does it take to learn shorthand for the SSC exam?

With a regular practice of 2 hours daily, a candidate can learn the basics in 30 to 45 days and reach the speed of 80 to 100 words per minute in about 6 to 12 months.

How should I practise the shorthand dictation?

Practise the daily dictation at a speed higher than the exam speed, read your notes at once, and make a notebook of the difficult outlines.

Is the shorthand test only qualifying?

The skill test in the SSC Stenographer exam is qualifying in nature; the merit is made on the basis of the written examination. Check the latest notice for the details.

Why is English important for the shorthand?

You must know the vocabulary and the grammar to read your notes and to transcribe the dictation correctly.

How can I prepare for the whole SSC Stenographer exam?

Prepare the shorthand and the typing skill together with the written exam: reasoning, general awareness and English.