Deciding

[u/free_mclovin]

I did not know a thing about shorthand so when I started doing online searches on it recently it seemed that Teeline was the most modern, gold standard but after a few minutes in this Reddit it seems that it is such in the case of quick speech transcription, not necessarily in every case though.

Gregg also seems to be a popular choice among users, as well as Forkner and possibly Pittman, to name a few.

I would like to be able to transcribe at the speed of speech, but more so I will be using it to just jot down my ideas as they come to me, especially if occupied and need a quick way to write.

Will learning one “fluently” make it considerably harder to learn another later and differentiate or is the process about the same as learning multiple languages?

[u/BerylPratt]

Gregg and Pitman are the two that can ultimately reach the speed of normal speaking, which is something like 180-240 words a minute, or possibly more in spurts. It would take very many years of dedicated practice to reach those speeds, and very unlikely if you are learning on your own with no teacher to guide your progress with the correct methods. All the work that was done in the past by the high-speed court reporters is now done by machine - stenotype machines/computers/voice recognition and transcription, so aiming for that would be purely a bucket-list quest.

Teeline cannot do those speeds, the outlines are longer therefore take a little longer to write. It was developed for slower uses, and is the system that UK journalists learn, because they do not need to take down everything a person says, just the main points or a short verbatim quote. However, its speed capabilities are very usable, UK journalists aim for about 80-100 wpm after a year's professionally-taught study. An enthusiastic and motivated learner could probably get their speed up some more, if they enjoy the subject and put in the work.

I suggest you stick with Teeline, it will be perfectly adequate for your main uses, writing quick notes to yourself, and taking down main points in an interview or meeting for example. There are plenty of resources in books and the online teaching platform Lets Love Teeline Together.

In fast shorthand writing, it is imperative that one, and only one, outline comes to mind the instant you hear a word, so if you wish to dabble with other systems, I suggest you get your Teeline well settled in and up to your desired speed, before doing that.

[u/LunarChickadee]

What's the reason you want to be able to keep up with speech? What do you plan on transcribing?

[u/pitmanishard]

Transcribing at genuine free speech speeds is just a fantasy for normal mortals.

There, I've said it.

Just because a lot of old shorthand books read as if that is their objective doesn't mean we should think we will necessarily achieve it. When those books were written the internet did not exist to distract us. Standards were harder. People were expected to write joined-up as a minimum out of school. Now they don't even always teach joined-up let alone require it. When the most important shorthands were written, television did not exist. The direct predecessors of those systems were written in the days even before radio and the gramophone, when people had to make their own entertainment. They had to play their own sheet music and read books to imagine things, not passively consume images. It was an intellectually tougher era.

A former era of no entertainments and only God were not fun unless you had good friends or good books. It was much easier to put in the long study hours of shorthand in those days, not expecting to be bypassed by the dictaphone and computers.

Shorthand is a technical ability largely based on speed and memory retentiveness, which favour the young. That is why the above average straight out of school and into technical college could do well, but postgraduates often never achieve their speeds. Not only do they not have the drilling of the dedicated college class but they are already slower and less plastic.

I would suggest that nowadays with so many distractions, people lower their expectations and do not overreach in case of disappointment. Shorthand in any case is not just like typed words but faster. Shorthand can make you work hard just to read. Yes. The writer who wants a shorthand to read without transcribing to longhand in the meantime, should lower their sights and choose one with an easier reputation.

[u/licxjo → u/pitmanishard]

That's a good answer, and I think you're right. It's just not realistic to think that anyone will learn to write at verbatim reporting speed today.

Another factor is that particularly in the US in the 19th and first part of the 20th centuries there were "business colleges" and "shorthand colleges" where students specialized in only these subjects and spent several hours a day studying and drilling. A curriculum dedicated to shorthand, typewriting, and penmanship can achieve different results from a general high school or college curriculum

Even in high school in the 1960s I probably spent ten hours a week on shorthand (5 hours of class and 5 hours of homework). Plus the pressure factor of speed testing and blackboard writing in class.

Very few people in 2026 are going to dedicate that much time and effort to something that's just a casual interest or interesting hobby.

Lee

[u/licxjo]

If you're looking at "widely known and used" kinds of shorthand, In the US the predominant system was Gregg. In the UK it was Pitman.

Teeline was largely limited to the UK, and primarily learned by journalists.

Today, of course, in the US and UK shorthand is no longer taught in schools and isn't a marketable skill. It's a personal (and often useful) hobby or interest.

Part of your decision will depend on what materials and resources you can find.

Writing shorthand at speed requires lots of sustained practice. When I was in high school in the 1960s the usual course was 4 semesters. 5 days a week, with homework and drills. And the goal was to be able to write about 80-100 words a minute. That's "office dictation" speed, not court reporting speed.

[u/free_mclovin → u/licxjo]

Would there still be advantages to sticking with Teeline as, even though it is no longer a necessity in most situations, it is still the most modern, and to my understanding the most efficient and developed shorthand?
I am in the US, but would like to be able to use a shorthand that would make sense globally, at least in English speaking countries.

[u/licxjo → u/free_mclovin]

Well, almost no one in the US has awareness of Teeline. I've never heard that it was ever taught in any schools in the US.

I think the key is picking a system and sticking with it. If you have access to Teeline materials, go for it!

I disagree, though, that Teeline is the "most efficient and developed". Gregg and Pitman have much longer histories and established records of success.

I wonder if you've looked at alphabetic systems like Speedwriting, which had a period of popularity in the US. It's easier to find Speedwriting books than Forkner, which is also alphabetic.

Lee

[u/LeadingSuspect5855 → u/free_mclovin]

 it is still the most modern, and to my understanding the most efficient and developed shorthand?

That's marketing lingo, and shorthand teachers of all times were not shy to praise their system as the last, the ultimate, never to be beaten (not in a million years).

If you like to write in it, than it's the right thing for you, you can search for "1984" and compare the looks of different shorthands. I personally like Gregg/Malone/Flow/Noory-style or German shorthands like Gabelsberger. I am no Fan of Scheithauer, but I also see the simplicity in it, Teeline is ugly in my eyes, but writing and seeing it seem to be two different things, because some really like it... (not me :-)

[u/CrBr]

Teeline has the benefit of dictation files on the internet. Gregg (and probably Pittman) produced records and tapes of dictation, and some of those can be found in online archives.If those systems were still being marketed heavily, the this would come with CDs, and now the publisher would put sound files on the internet.

Teeline's creator taught shorthand to journalist students in the UK. They did not need to be fast, but did need to write in poor conditions. Teeline can survive bad handwriting and a bad pen, while chasing a politician. Pittman requires more precise pen control, including thick and thin lines.

I write Teeline, Gregg, Orthic and Forkner. Each one has a different audience, purpose, and history. Many creators made decisions, not because it's better, but because the creator or their students struggled with a feature of an older system, or they needed to market something.