The Halving and Doubling Principles in Pitman Shorthand Made Simple
Power Compression Rules in Pitman Shorthand The halving and doubling principles represent the most powerful speed-generating rules in advanced stenography. 1. The Halving Principle (Adding 'T' or 'D') Halving the length of a stroke indicates the addition of T or D: A half-length P stroke becomes "pet" or "pat". A half-length M stroke becomes "met" or "mate". A half-length N stroke with a vowel becomes "net" or "night". 2. The Doubling Principle (Adding 'TER', 'DER', 'THER') Doubling the length of a curved or straight stroke indicates the addition of -ter, -der, or -ther: A double-length M becomes "matter" or "mother". A double-length F becomes "father" or "feather". A double-length L becomes "letter". Applying these principles cuts your outline length in half, allowing you to comfortably keep up with 100 WPM dictations.
At a glance
| Question | Practical answer |
|---|---|
| What to learn first? | Understand the rule before increasing speed. |
| What to measure? | Accuracy, recovery time, and repeatability. |
| What to review? | The first point where the error began. |
Action notes
Turn the guidance above into a short session. Use fresh examples, keep the target narrow, and record one concrete lesson after the exercise.
Practice Pitman Outlines
Build your shorthand vocabulary. Practice drawing clean, fast Pitman outlines.