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Making sense of old handwriting

Introduction to Shorthand

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What is Shorthand?

Shorthand, or stenography, is a method of rapid writing that uses phonetic symbols and abbreviations to represent sounds rather than letters. Developed to save time and space, shorthand has been used for centuries to transcribe speeches, record trials, and capture personal notes. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries especially, shorthand was a vital secretarial skill, though evolving technology led its use to gradually decline.

The decline of shorthand in general as well as the relatively short lifespan of many individual shorthand systems means that many shorthand documents remain undeciphered, which can pose a challenge to researchers hoping to use these documents. The pages on this site will give a brief overview of shorthand’s history, highlighting the systems most likely to appear in historical records.

Tips for Deciphering Shorthand

  • Before anything else, identify which system is being used. This can take time, especially given how many symbols are repeated between systems. Look for common words you expect to see in the context of the document, or for unique features of particular shorthand systems.
  • The date of the document can help narrow down potential options. For example, a text written in the mid-twentieth century is most likely to have been written in Pitman or Gregg, while a text written in the seventeenth century could not have been written in a later system like Taylor. Remember that some systems, like Gurney and Rich, had long lifespans and remained in use well into the nineteenth century. 
  • Deciphering shorthand requires becoming familiar with the system being used, not just the alphabet. Different systems have different rules for abbreviation and vowel indication. Most have additional symbols for various words or parts of words. Manuals for most systems can be found digitized online from Google Books, Archive.org, or HathiTrust.   
  • Shorthand can often be ambiguous, especially in systems where vowel indications are rare or absent. For example, the mark “·\/” in Taylor shorthand might mean “ever,” “over,” “aver,” “affair,” or “offer.” Even in systems with consistent vowel markings, abbreviation and similar-looking symbols can still make words unclear. Rely on context to make sense of ambiguity.
  • Be patient! Deciphering shorthand takes time and practice, and not everything is necessarily transcribable. Don’t be concerned if the interpretation isn’t immediately clear. 

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Introduction
Paleography Introduction
Latin Influence Abbreviations Numbers & Calendars Currency
Major English-Language Scripts Alphabet Charts
Introduction Early Shorthand Eighteenth-Century Shorthand Nineteenth-Century Shorthand
Document Gallery
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Bibliography