What is shorthand dictation?

Shorthand dictation is the method of taking dictation in shorthand: the writer records the speaker's words in a set of symbols or abbreviations that can be written as fast as people talk, then types the notes into ordinary text. The speaker composes and the writer keeps pace. A transcript is only useful if it is also accurate, so the tests for this work check speed and accuracy together. For the longer history, see our history of dictation.

Shorthand is a symbol system written at speaking speed

Shorthand replaces letters and whole words with shorter marks. Isaac Pitman published his Stenographic Sound-Hand in 1837, introducing Pitman shorthand ¹.

In practice, the writer takes the dictation in shorthand as it is spoken, then types a clean copy from the notes afterward. That two-step pattern is the reason shorthand dictation needs a trained writer: the notes are only as useful as the writer's ability to read them back.

Court reporters and government tests set the speed

Speed requirements vary by job, and the tests are published. The table gives two examples with their rules.

Speed alone does not pass the NCRA test. To pass each leg, a candidate must have 95 percent accuracy ⁴. A fast transcript with too many errors fails, which is why the test pairs the two.

Why shorthand can keep pace with ordinary speech

Ordinary speech is slower than the tests. A 2005 study of hands-free dictation gives people's normal speaking speed as 125 to 150 words per minute ⁵, as a round figure rather than a measured result. A writer who can reach 225 words per minute therefore has room to spare when the speaker is talking at a normal pace, and can keep up with a fast dictator.

Speech software is a different route to the same goal. In a controlled study, English text entered by speech on an iPhone reached 153 words per minute ⁶. That study used short phrases and a software recognizer, not a trained writer, so the two numbers measure different things.

Voice writing is a newer method for the same job

Some court reporters now use voice writing, which means speaking into a mask that fits over the mouth, with an internal microphone and a soundproof enclosure, so that a speech recognizer can type the words ⁷. A court reporting company says a trained voice writer can sustain accuracy above 95 percent at speeds above 180 words per minute ⁸. That is the company's own claim, and it is not an independent test. For the term, see voice writing.

It depends on why you need shorthand

• For a certified job, the test is the standard. Check the notice for the exact speed, duration and error limit, because they differ by employer and year.
• For your own notes, you do not need a certified speed. Shorthand takes practice to learn. Dictation software needs no shorthand, but its text needs proofreading.

What to do if you need shorthand dictation

1. Get the exact rules from the notice or course: the speed, the length of the dictation and the error limit.
2. Practice with timed dictation at the test speed, then transcribe the notes and count your errors.
3. If you hire someone, name the test format in the job description, so applicants know the speed and accuracy you expect.

For the wider picture of how fast shorthand is, read the guide to stenography and shorthand. To compare the phrase with the everyday meaning, see what it means to take dictation, and for the device that replaced the notebook in many offices, see what a Dictaphone is.