Shorthand Help!? How do you distinguish between the symbols???

Question

For example: http://gregg.angelfishy.net/anunit01.shtml
Scroll to #13 First row.

The 3rd character and the last characters are similiar. And it looks like from the examples all words starting with "h" need a dot on top but the last word doesn't have a dot on top yet the word is still "her". How do you distinguish all these circles when they can mean similar pronounciations?

Answer 1

Gregg shorthand is easier to write and tougher to read-back. Pitman is easier to read back and tougher to write. What you are seeing is Gregg handwriting and, as you noticed, it's tough to read it back.

Now, that said, the two symbols are different: The first is here and the last is her. My guess is that the dot makes the difference in distinguishing the two words!

Regarding your question about how one distinguishes the circles and dots, etc.... well, the simple answer is that the student memorizes the circles and dots and the curls. Again, Gregg shorthand is tough to read back because, I suspect, there aren't the clearly-delineated positions and strokes that there are in Pittman.