How fast is shorthand writing?

Pen shorthand is written at a practical speed of about 70 to 100 words per minute ¹, and two certification tests we checked set 100 as the bar ^{2 3}. The record for Pitman shorthand is 350 words per minute, set in a two-minute test in 1922 ⁴. Those figures are much lower than the 225 words per minute that the court-reporting test sets for stenotype ⁵, so shorthand and stenotype writing are different skills with different ceilings.

Practical shorthand reaches 70 to 100 words per minute

Shorthand is an abbreviated symbolic writing method that increases the speed and brevity of writing compared with longhand ⁶. Alphabetic systems write sounds with letters, and they reach a useful speed of 70 to 100 words per minute ¹. They need only a fraction of the time that stenographic systems take to reach that speed. That is the trade: alphabetic systems are quicker to learn, and they top out lower.

Two certification tests set 100 words per minute as the bar

The UK's National Council for the Training of Journalists recommends Teeline shorthand, and its certification requires an overall speed of 100 words per minute ². The Goa government's scheme of examination for the Junior Stenographer post sets its shorthand skill test at the same figure ³. The two tests come from different jobs and countries, but both put the bar at 100.

The Pitman record is 350 words per minute, in a two-minute test

The record for fast writing in Pitman shorthand is 350 words per minute, set in a two-minute test by Nathan Behrin in 1922 ⁴. A two-minute sprint is a different test from a working day, and the source gives no accuracy standard for it. Treat the record as a ceiling for short bursts, not as a sustained working speed.

Pen systems and stenography are different machines

Isaac Pitman published Stenographic Sound-Hand in 1837, which introduced Pitman shorthand ⁷. John Robert Gregg first published his system in 1888, and in the United States Gregg largely superseded Pitman ⁸. Both are pen systems, written on paper with symbols.

Stenography is written on a machine, and the writer presses chords. The certification bar for stenotype testimony is 225 words per minute ⁵. If you want the reasons, our stenography and shorthand guide covers the machine.

It depends on the system, the test and the accuracy

Three things change the number you should expect. The first is the system: alphabetic shorthand reaches a useful speed sooner than a stenographic system does. The second is the test: a practical working speed, a certification bar and a record are three different standards. The third is accuracy. The sources here do not give an accuracy standard for the 350 record, so do not compare it directly with a certified speed.

What to do if you want a shorthand speed target

1. Find out which system and test you need. Teeline, Pitman and Gregg are taught and examined differently, so a target that suits one may not suit another.
2. Practise on timed dictation at the target speed. Count errors at the same time, and report net speed.
3. Keep the goals apart. A 100 target for a shorthand certificate and a 225 target for court steno are separate goals with separate training.

For how the unit is counted, see our words per minute entry and our guide to how typing speed is measured.

Read next

• For the court standard, read how fast do stenographers type.
• For the training timeline, read how long it takes to learn stenography.
• For a sense of what 100 words per minute means on a keyboard, read is 100 words per minute fast.
• For the shorthand term itself, see shorthand.