When was the last time you had a project that involved hours of typing? If you’re responsible for large amounts of writing, you know how time-consuming it can be.
Business professionals draft documents, reports, and replies all day, and students write lengthy papers on a regular basis. Many people produce a massive amount of written content every week.
Shorthand typing is any method of writing faster by producing fewer characters than the full words. Traditional shorthand does it with a writing system of symbols that represent sounds, such as Gregg or Pitman shorthand. Digital shorthand does it with abbreviations that software expands into full words, phrases, or paragraphs as you type.
Shorthand was designed with one purpose in mind: to let writers produce written content faster. The methods people use to write shorthand have changed over the centuries, but the purpose hasn’t.
Explore the world of shorthand, from Xenophon recording his memories of Socrates to today, when a well-written reply can be drafted by typing just a few characters.
Key takeaways
- Shorthand typing is any method of producing text faster by typing fewer characters than the full words. Classic shorthand relies on symbol systems such as Gregg and Pitman, while digital shorthand uses software that expands short abbreviations into saved wording.
- Learning a classic shorthand system takes the same commitment as learning a new language. The usual path is to choose a system, study it with books or shorthand courses, and practice every day for weeks or months. A typical beginner’s target is 60 to 80 words per minute.
- Text expansion software lets you use shorthand without memorizing a symbol system. You save frequently used wording with a short abbreviation, and typing the abbreviation inserts the full version. Most people can start within days because they’re learning a tool, not a new alphabet.
- The right shorthand software depends on the kind of writing you do. Text expansion tools such as TextExpander fit repeated replies and documents, stenography software such as Plover fits court reporting and captioning, and AI writing tools such as Jasper generate new drafts.
The modern method of learning shorthand typing
With the modern evolution of automation software, you can use shorthand without learning any of the traditional shorthand writing systems.
This method drastically reduces the time it takes to learn shorthand. Rather than memorizing an entire system of symbols, you’re learning how to use one type of software, and you choose the shortcuts yourself.
Use software that automates the process
Automation software lets you save detailed Snippets that you insert by typing only a few characters. This can drastically reduce the time it takes to draft replies, respond to clients, and create other written content you use on a regular basis.
It’s especially useful in business, where customer service replies, memos, and other routine writing are commonplace.
Learning through TextExpander
One type of software that can help you and your entire organization write faster is TextExpander. It saves your best wording so you don’t have to recreate it, and it keeps that wording consistent across the organization.
This software is ideal for individuals and businesses who frequently draft similar types of content. By choosing or creating Snippets for every purpose you need, you can have members of your team insert the same wording using just a few chosen keystrokes.
“As a teacher, I’m grading the same papers and making the same comments time and again. Being able to type abbreviations which turn into my usual comments has cut my grading time in half.”
Benjamin Barlowe, History Teacher, Liberty University Online Academy
The result is less time spent rebuilding the same replies and documents. Another advantage of TextExpander is that it scales from individuals to small businesses and large organizations, and schools use it too (see TextExpander for teachers).
If you’re unsure which plan would suit your needs, start with the TextExpander Free plan, which doesn’t require a credit card, and upgrade when you need more.
How can you learn shorthand typing?
Typing shorthand is the evolution of shorthand writing, and it still has the same purpose of producing written content faster. That content may include books, notes, meeting records, and other works, but with shorthand, you can write it at a faster rate.
Elaborate shorthand systems are available to anyone with the patience and dedication to learn them. These range from Gregg and Pitman shorthand to Teeline, and each has its own detailed system of rules and symbols.
How shorthand systems work: sounds, vowels, and consonants
Most classic shorthand systems are phonetic. Instead of spelling a word letter by letter, you write the sounds you hear. That’s why shorthand works so well for capturing spoken language: a silent letter costs you nothing, and one stroke can stand for a sound that takes two or three letters to spell in longhand.
Each system represents sounds differently:
- Pitman shorthand writes consonants as symbols made of straight lines and curves. Pairs of similar consonants share a shape, with a thin stroke for a light sound, such as “p,” and a thick stroke for a heavier sound, such as “b.” Vowels are dots or dashes written beside the consonant stroke, and most vowel marks can be left out to write faster.
- Gregg shorthand uses flowing curves and lines of different lengths, with uniform line thickness. Vowels are joined into the outline: a large circle for “a,” a small circle for “e,” and small hooks for “o” and “u,” with special marks for diphthongs.
- Teeline is a shorthand system based on the alphabet rather than on sounds. It turns ordinary letters into simple symbols and usually drops a vowel unless it starts or ends the word, which makes it easier to learn but limits its top speed.
- Speedwriting is a writing system that uses the letters of the alphabet you already know, plus punctuation marks, to represent sounds, so you can write shorthand with any pen or keyboard.
Is shorthand hard to learn? It depends on the system. Alphabet-based systems such as Teeline use fewer new symbols and are quicker to pick up, while phonetic systems such as Pitman and Gregg take longer but allow higher speeds.
Either way, reading your own shorthand notes back a week later takes practice too.
The classic method
If you’re the scholarly type and don’t mind learning a shorthand system from the ground up, the classic method can be rewarding. It also gives you a useful skill for note taking that doesn’t depend on a device.
Follow these steps to learn shorthand using the classic method.
Choose a system
Dozens of forms of shorthand exist, and this list of established shorthand systems is a good place to start your research. Each has its own symbols, quirks, and complexities, so take some time to review them and see which is worth your time and effort.
Here are some of the shorthand systems you may consider:
- Gregg Shorthand
- Pitman Shorthand
- Teeline Shorthand
- Speedwriting
- Handywrite
Gather books on that system
Once you’ve found the shorthand system that resonates with you, it’s time for research. Gather all of the books, websites, and other media on that system that you can.
Think of it with the same intensity as learning another language. It takes a substantial amount of studying, reading, and repetition to understand a shorthand system well enough to use it effectively.
Whichever system you choose, you’ll find information online and very likely books you can use to study it. Plus, websites like Shorthandly are dedicated to helping passionate writers learn either Pitman or Gregg Shorthand in record time.
Structured shorthand courses can speed things up. Pitman Training lists shorthand courses, and in the UK, journalism students often learn Teeline through shorthand courses offered by programs that prepare learners for the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism. Shorthand courses give you a fixed order of lessons, graded dictations, and a tutor to check your outlines, which is essential feedback that’s hard to replicate on your own. Shorthand training also keeps you practicing on a schedule.
Regardless of the type of training you choose, building shorthand skills requires frequent and diligent study.
Plan to practice regularly
The other major part of learning shorthand is to practice constantly.
Anyone who’s studied a language in high school and then forgot it shortly after can tell you that it takes regular practice to retain what you’ve learned. The same is true for shorthand writing.
Learning the rules isn’t enough to build real shorthand skills. You’ll have to practice making each of the symbols, writing words and sentences, and doing it often. Only then will you reach the point where you can reliably use shorthand for work and other important purposes.
Here are some tools and resources you can use to practice and improve your shorthand skills and typing speed:
- Typing.com: An online platform that offers courses, games, and tests to improve your typing skills.
- 10FastFingers: It lets you test your typing speed and compete with others in real time.
- TypeRacer: A fun, competitive game where you race against others to finish typing a passage as quickly as possible.
- Tipp10: A touch typing tutor that’s available both online and as desktop software.
- Keybr: A platform that teaches touch typing through progressively challenging exercises.
- Steno Arcade: A video game designed to teach and practice the machine shorthand used in court reporting.
- Plover: Open-source stenography software. If you’re looking into court reporting or other forms of stenography, Plover is a good tool to practice with, and its theory guide teaches stenography from scratch.
- StenEd: An educational resource and method for learning stenography, primarily for court reporting.
- Custom challenges: Set up your own dictation practice. Listen to a podcast or a radio show and try to write or type it in real time, or ask a friend to read out loud while you take shorthand notes. It builds listening skills as well as speed.
Remember that consistency is essential. It’s better to practice a little every day than to cram in one day and then skip several. Over time, with regular practice, your shorthand speed and accuracy will improve.
What’s the best shorthand typing speed?
Since the point of shorthand is to write faster, your shorthand speed needs to be faster than your natural handwriting or typing speed.
Shorthand speed is measured in words per minute (wpm), usually by taking dictation, because shorthand exists to record spoken language. Someone reads a passage aloud at a set speed, you write it in shorthand, and then you transcribe your notes back into longhand to check accuracy. A speed only counts if you can read back what you wrote, so your ability to read your outlines is part of the test, and most shorthand courses test you this way at set speeds.
Here’s how common shorthand speed benchmarks compare:
- Beginners: 60 to 80 words per minute is about average for a beginner.
- UK journalists: Shorthand is an optional module of the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism. Learners who take it need at least 100 words per minute to earn the “Gold Standard” diploma, along with grades of A to C in each module.
- Court reporters: Stenographers who write on a steno machine reach a far higher shorthand speed, as the Plover section below explains.
To build shorthand speed and skills, practice with dictations at a speed slightly above your comfortable level, then step up as your accuracy holds. Dictation practice also builds listening skills, since you have to hold a phrase in mind while your pen or keyboard catches up. If your goal is faster keyboard typing rather than a symbol system, see our guide on how to type faster.
Who still uses shorthand today?
Technological advancements and digital tools such as voice recorders, speech recognition, and text expansion software have changed how most people approach speed writing and note taking. Still, shorthand remains a valuable skill in several careers, and many more people use a digital version of it without calling it shorthand.
Journalists
Shorthand remains a valuable skill in journalism, especially in the UK, where many reporters learn shorthand through Teeline. Journalists use shorthand to capture spoken words accurately in interviews, council meetings, and courtrooms, where a recording may not be practical or allowed. For journalists, shorthand notes are a quick, reliable record of exactly what someone said, and they can transcribe them later.
Court reporters and captioners
Court reporting is machine shorthand, also called stenography. Court reporters and captioners press several keys at once on a steno machine to write whole syllables or words in a single stroke, which lets them keep up with spoken words and produce a real-time transcription with high accuracy in courtrooms, depositions, and live broadcasts.
Medical and legal professionals
Medical transcription and legal transcription turn dictated recordings into written records, and both rely on standard abbreviations to keep up. Clinicians also use their own shortcuts every day to write clinical notes faster, and many now save them in software so they expand into full phrases. One verified G2 user in the Health, Wellness and Fitness industry described it this way: “Works on all of my programs, including EHR, email and texts to patients. Streamlines my work. I use it for abbreviations/’short hand’, note templates, patient info, etc.” Teams that want the same approach can look at medical note taking software.
Students and administrative professionals
Students use shorthand for note taking and lecture notes, where they need to write faster than a professor speaks, and some students learn shorthand formally to keep up with dense material. Administrative assistants and secretaries once took dictation in Gregg or Pitman shorthand as a core part of the job. Fewer roles require it today, but fast note taking is still a useful skill in meetings and on calls.
What’s the best shorthand typing software?
There are multiple ways to write shorthand on a computer. That’s reflected in the three types of software that enable some form of short-form typing.
As you read about the best software in each of these three categories, consider which type may be the best fit for you and your work.
Best shorthand automation software: TextExpander
TextExpander lets you build your own digital shorthand. You save the wording you type often as a Snippet, assign it an abbreviation, and type the abbreviation to insert the full version wherever you type.
It’s fully customizable, which is a major advantage. You can write the internal and external wording your company uses most, share it with your team, and update a shared Snippet every time the wording changes.
How long does your staff spend answering the same questions and rewriting the same replies each day? With TextExpander, they can insert a response your team already got right in seconds, then personalize the details for the person they’re helping.
Best stenography software: Plover
The term “stenographer” comes from the device they use, which is a stenotype. Professionals who work as stenographers typically have to type transcripts from courts or closed captioning for speeches, so they need to write at very high speeds. The National Court Reporters Association’s Registered Professional Reporter skills tests run at 180, 200, and 225 words per minute.
Plover is free, open-source software that anyone can use or contribute to. By installing Plover, you can use a compatible keyboard to practice the chorded strokes that are typically written on a steno machine.
Since it’s open source, the software keeps improving and adding options, so anyone with an interest in becoming a stenographer should look into Plover.
AI writing software: Jasper
Artificial intelligence copywriting software has become a new product line in recent years, and Jasper is one well-known option built for marketing content.
Jasper claims you can write professional blogs in record time with AI-generated copy. Assuming that the copy meets your quality standards, you could cut drafting time with this product.
Jasper offers an array of tools that help with creating SEO content, keywords, and blogs. If you’re curious about the state of AI copywriting software, Jasper offers Pro and Business plans, and you can try the Pro plan free for 7 days to see if it fits your needs. AI writing tools and text expansion solve different problems: generate when you need something new, and reuse the wording you’ve already approved when the answer doesn’t change.
Build your own shorthand without learning symbols
Classic shorthand takes months of practice. With TextExpander, you choose the abbreviations, and each one expands into the full word, phrase, or paragraph you saved as a Snippet. Your shorthand works wherever you type, on your computer or your iPhone.
Get TextExpander for Free. No credit card required.
What are the benefits of shorthand typing?
There must be a worthwhile benefit for people to put substantial time and effort into learning shorthand. The most obvious benefit is time, but historically, shorthand also offered privacy, since few people could read it.
Today, faster writing and more consistent wording are the key reasons people take the time to use shorthand. Here’s an overview of the main advantages.
Designed to enhance speed and save time
Thousands of years ago, when the first form of shorthand was used, the purpose was to write more in less time. Today, people use shorthand for the same reason.
Whether you’re saving time in your personal life or at work, there’s no greater currency than time. At work, the hours you get back can go to other important tasks, like actively helping customers.
Boost productivity over time
A customer service manager is likely to get value from shorthand software because it allows faster responses and gives every agent the same approved wording.
The time each person spends fully typing a detailed reply or a customer satisfaction form adds up. As a hypothetical example, if shorthand saved one person 60 minutes per workday, that would add up to five hours each week, or about 240 hours over a 48-week working year.
Eventually, the time you put into shorthand software or training pays for itself, because you stop rebuilding the same wording from scratch every time you write it.
TextExpander can improve productivity throughout your organization
If many people in your organization write memos, replies, and other documents, shorthand automation software such as TextExpander keeps the wording your team already approved consistent and easy to reach, so nobody rewrites it from scratch.
That way, you know that Jim in customer service is on the same page as your executive assistant and the marketing team.
You can design Snippets with the right wording for various occasions. Then anyone in your organization can insert one with a few keystrokes and adjust the details that change from one reader to the next.
TextExpander has a Free plan, so you can try digital shorthand with your own shortcuts before your team chooses a paid plan.
A brief history of shorthand
It wasn’t long after writing was discovered that serious writers began to explore quicker ways to express their ideas. Some historians credit the Greek historian Xenophon as the first to use a system of shorthand, but the Roman Empire deserves credit for creating the first widely used system.
Marcus Tullius Tiro was a member of the household of the Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero. Tiro is credited with inventing the first long-lasting shorthand system, known as “Tironian notes.”
This early form of shorthand was invented in 63 BC, and with the support of Tiro’s dictionary, the system lasted over 1,000 years.
Timothy Bright invents the first English system of shorthand
In 1588, inspired by Tiro’s system, Timothy Bright invented a shorthand system that used lines and circles.
Various events rekindled the demand for shorthand writing throughout history. For example, the Industrial Revolution brought a vast increase in business, so there was a high demand for stenographers.
This demand for a quicker method of writing continued to the present day, and several established shorthand systems are still used throughout the world.
Pitman, Gregg, and the systems still taught today
Sir Isaac Pitman, an English educator who advocated spelling reform, published his phonetic writing system in 1837 as Stenographic Sound-Hand. It recorded 25 single consonants, 24 double consonants, and 16 vowel sounds, and Sir Isaac Pitman was later knighted by Queen Victoria for his work.
In 1888, John Robert Gregg published Light-Line Phonography, the system that became Gregg shorthand. Gregg replaced Pitman’s thick and thin strokes with curves, circles, hooks, and loops of uniform thickness, and it became the most popular pen shorthand in the United States.
Emma Dearborn, an instructor at Columbia University, created Speedwriting around 1924 using ordinary letters of the alphabet. In 1968, James Hill, a teacher of Pitman shorthand, developed Teeline, which UK journalists still learn today.
Later technological advancements, from the steno machine to the personal computer, moved much of this work from the pen to the keyboard, which is where digital shorthand picks up the story.
Related resources
Consider advancing your knowledge of shorthand writing methods with the following links and videos.
Shorthand videos
Official sites for learning shorthand
- Omniglot.com: Has detailed info on multiple systems of shorthand writing
- Moosmosis.org: Provides a deep overview of shorthand with high-quality examples
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Frequently asked questions
How do you write shorthand on a computer?
To write shorthand on a computer, set up short abbreviations that expand into the full words, phrases, or symbols you type often. Word processors include basic versions of this, such as Substitutions in Google Docs and AutoCorrect in Microsoft Office, but those shortcuts only work inside those apps. Text expansion software such as TextExpander works wherever you type: you save wording as a Snippet with an abbreviation, and typing the abbreviation inserts the full version in documents, chat, and web forms. If you don't know a shorthand system yet, you can also learn one online.
What is a shorthand typing example?
A modern example is typing a short abbreviation, such as ;thx, and having expansion software, such as TextExpander, replace it with a full sentence, such as "Thanks for reaching out. I'll get back to you by the end of the day." Traditional shorthand works differently. Gregg shorthand records sounds with simple curves and loops instead of spelling each letter, and Pitman shorthand uses thick and thin strokes to tell similar sounds apart. Both approaches capture the same words with far fewer pen movements or keystrokes than writing everything out.
How can you learn shorthand online?
You can learn shorthand online through courses for a specific system or through typing and stenography practice tools. Shorthandly offers video shorthand courses for Pitman and Gregg, and Pitman Training lists shorthand and speedwriting courses. Other sites specialize in one of the dozens of shorthand systems, so pick the system first and then look for shorthand courses that teach it. If you want to type shorthand on a keyboard instead of writing it, a Snippet tool lets you start with your own shortcuts without learning a symbol system.
Is there a shorthand keyboard?
Yes. Court reporters and captioners use a steno machine, also called a stenotype, which lets them press several keys at once to write whole syllables or words in one stroke. Retailers such as StenoWorks sell steno machines and related gear. Free stenography software such as Plover can also turn some standard keyboards into practice steno keyboards. For everyday shorthand, you don't need special hardware: Snippet software turns short codes typed on a regular keyboard into full words and sentences.
What is the difference between shorthand writing and shorthand typing?
Shorthand writing traditionally refers to symbolic systems like Gregg or Pitman that use special characters to record speech very quickly by hand. Typing shorthand is the modern evolution of that idea. Instead of learning an entire symbol system, it usually relies on software or short codes to produce full sentences with fewer keystrokes than standard typing. Stenography sits in between: it uses a dedicated keyboard and a phonetic theory that takes extensive training to learn.
Is shorthand still useful today?
Yes. Even though shorthand isn't as widely taught as it once was, shorthand skills are still useful for fast note-taking, transcription work, and writing tasks where speed matters. Reporters, court stenographers, students, administrative assistants, and anyone who needs to capture large amounts of spoken or written content can benefit from it. Many people now use a digital form of shorthand, saving the phrases they type most often as abbreviations instead of learning a full symbol system.
How long does it take to learn shorthand?
How long it takes to learn shorthand depends on your approach. With a classic symbolic system such as Gregg or Pitman, reaching proficiency can take weeks or months of regular practice. With Snippet-based software, you can start typing shorthand-style content productively within a few days because you're mainly learning the tool, not a whole symbolic language. Either way, short daily practice sessions build shorthand speed faster than occasional long ones.
Can I use shorthand for professional work?
Yes. Shorthand works in many professional contexts, from meeting notes and customer support responses to documents you draft every day. Software-based shorthand is especially useful for teams, because shared abbreviations let everyone insert the same approved wording for common replies. Classic symbol systems remain useful for note-taking by hand, especially for journalists, but the notes usually need to be transcribed before anyone else can read them.
Do I need special software to practice typing shorthand?
Not always. You can practice basic typing shorthand with just a keyboard, a list of shortcuts, and frequent practice. Many people choose customizable text expansion software, which expands abbreviations into full wording automatically and makes digital shorthand easier to use across different apps and devices. If you plan to learn shorthand for court reporting or captioning, you'll eventually need steno software such as Plover or a steno machine.
How do I create text shortcuts in Google Docs?
To create text shortcuts in Google Docs, open a document and go to Tools > Preferences, then select the Substitutions tab. Make sure Automatic substitution is checked. Type your shortcut in the Replace column, type the full word or phrase in the With column, and select OK. Google Docs then swaps the shortcut for the full wording as you type in any document. Substitutions are a Google Docs setting, so they won't expand in Gmail, Slack, or desktop apps. For shortcuts that work across apps, use a text expansion tool.
How can I type faster on my phone using shortcuts for common phrases?
Both major phone platforms have a built-in shortcut feature. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement, tap the plus button, enter the full phrase and its shortcut, and tap Save. On Android with Gboard, open Gboard settings, select Dictionary > Personal dictionary, choose your language, tap the plus button, and enter the phrase and its shortcut. These built-in shortcuts only work on that phone's keyboard. The TextExpander mobile app for iPhone and iPad uses the same abbreviations you set up on your computer and expands Snippets in any app through the TextExpander keyboard.
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