Art of Chording

# Vowel oh

Special thanks to Thomas Pacheco for funding this lesson.

This lesson covers the "oh" sound heard in words like "dome" as well as your first shortening principle.

The vowel sound "oh" is given by the outline OE.

# S T K P W H R A O * E U F R P B L G T S D Z
  • OE: owe
  • OEPB: own
  • OEPL: ohm
  • PHOE: mow
  • TOE: tow
  • TPHOE: know
  • TPHOEZ: knows
  • TPHOES: nose
  • SHOE: show
  • PWHROE: blow
  • PWHROEPB: blown
  • HROE: low
  • PWOEPB: bone
  • HROEPB: lone
  • SOE: sow
  • PWOE: bow
  • TKOE: dough

But there's a catch!

Plover Theory spells words with "or" in them (corn, born, etc.) with just the normal O instead of OE. The OER version is reserved for briefs.

  • KORPB: corn

    • KOERPB: coroner

  • PWORPB: born

    • PWOERPB: borne

  • TKORPL: dorm

    • not defined (TKOERPL is unmapped)

  • TORPB: torn

    • TOERPB: attorney

  • STOR: store

    • STOER: story

  • STORPL: storm

    • STOERPL: stormy

  • PHOR: more

    • PHOER: mother

You are not expected to remember these OER briefs for the practice material in this book yet, but you are free to use them, of course.

# Shortening Technique: mo'er and fa'er

Stenographers are always concerned with smashing as many syllables into as few strokes as possible. In the space between raw theory and arbitrary briefs, there are shortening techniques. Shortening techniques are little rules that you can use to develop a family of briefs.

One recurring pattern in the Plover dictionary is squashing two syllable words with the "o'e" pattern into one stroke:

  • OER: other (o'er)
  • PHOER: mother (mo'er)
  • PAERPB: pattern (pa'ern)
  • TPAER: father (fa'er)
  • WAUR: water (wa'er)
  • TKAUR: daughter (dau'er)
  • PWOER: bother (bo'er)

You can imagine speaking in a Cockney accent if it helps you remember this pattern. You substitute the middle consonant with a stop.

# Briefs

Chord Translation Notes
OERBGS oh{,} "Oh" with a comma attached. RBGS is the comma stroke in traditional StenEd and is often used as a briefing tool in Plover.
*OERBGS oh Asterisk "removes" the comma in this case
OEP open
OEFR over
OEPBL only
OEB observe
OBT object
SUBT subject
PORPB important
OER other
TOED today
TOPBT tonight
TOEPL tomorrow

# Vocabulary: Family

Chord Translation Notes
TPAER father
PHOER mother
PWROER brother
ST-R sister
SOPB son
TKAUR daughter
PARPBT, PAEURPBT parent

# Practice

# 1. Translate

Write the English sentence represented by these outlines, including punctuation.

  1. PHEU PHOER SKP TPAER R -T SUBT -F -T TPEUPL TOED TP-PL
  2. THER TPHOT THR TP-R -T TKAEUS THA EU APL TPH TOUPB KW-BG PWU THE HR -B THR TOPBT THRU TOEPL TP-PL
  3. T S PORPB TO OEP PHAEUL PW-FR U THROE T OUT TP-PL
  4. OERBGS EU APL TPHOT SO SHUR PW THA SKWR-RBGS
  5. PHEU ST-R HAS PHOR OD P-PBS OPB TH SUBT TP-PL
  6. EU K TPHOT OBT TO TPHEU OER PWEULS OR THE HR THROE PHE OUT -F -T KORT TP-PL
  7. PHEU TKAUR S AZ PREUT AZ PHEU ST-R KW-BG SKP PHEU ST-R S HR-R SO PREUT TP-PL
  8. PHEU TPAER TPH HRAU S TO KOPL OEFR TOEPL AF WORBG TP-PL
  9. TOEPL S APB PORPB TKAEU TP-R PHE TP-PL
  10. U SHO KHEBG OUT THAEUR OER PORPB WORBGS PW-FR TOEPL TP-PL

# 2. Find outlines

Find steno outlines that will write these English sentences, including punctuation.

  1. That is an important subject to learn.
  2. The wind blows North, not South.
  3. Will you leave tonight or tomorrow, do you think?
  4. I wrote to her but I do not think she will write back.
  5. Can you be there by tonight? I want to be done today.

← Both sides V →