Maharashtra HSC Stenography (Occupational) key terms

A single written shorthand sign made by one continuous movement of the pen, representing a consonant sound. Its length, thickness, and position on the line all carry meaning.

The joined shorthand signs that spell out the consonant sounds of a word, written without vowels. The skeleton on which the full word is later read.

The system of showing vowel sounds in Pitman shorthand either by placing light or heavy dots and dashes beside the outline or by writing the vowel signs in their proper place.

A dot or a short dash, light or heavy, placed at the beginning, middle, or end of a consonant outline to show which vowel sound is heard at that point in the word.

A vowel sound written at the top or beginning position of an outline, before the first consonant stroke. It signals the vowel heard immediately before the initial consonant.

A vowel sign written at the end of an outline, after the last consonant stroke. It marks a vowel heard after the final consonant sound of the word.

The rule that an outline is written above, on, or through the line according to the first vowel sound of the word. Position helps the reader identify omitted vowels.

Two or more short words written as one joined outline without lifting the pen, such as common combinations of pronoun and verb. It saves writing time in dictation.

A specially shortened outline taught for a very common word, such as articles, prepositions, and auxiliaries. Brief forms must be memorised exactly because they are not built by rule.

A single shorthand sign that stands for a whole word rather than for its sounds, for example the special signs used for common pronouns and verbs in the Pitman system.

An outline in which one or more sounds of a word are deliberately left out, following a stated rule, so the word can be written faster while remaining readable in context.

A shorthand sign representing a syllable written at the beginning of a word, such as con-, com-, or intro-. It is joined to the main outline to shorten long words.

A shorthand sign for a word ending, such as -tion, -ment, or -ing, attached to the main outline. Suffixes shorten long words and must be applied according to fixed rules.

The rule that a consonant stroke is written at half its normal length to add a final -t or -d sound. Light strokes add t and heavy strokes add d.

The rule that a stroke is written at double its normal length to add a final -ter, -der, or -ture sound. It is used mainly at the end of words.

The rate at which dictated matter is read aloud, measured in words per minute. Candidates must build speed gradually and then hold it steadily under exam conditions.

The act of reading back shorthand notes and writing them out in full longhand or typing them in normal spelling, with correct punctuation and paragraphing.

The clean, final written or typed version of a transcript, produced after checking the rough transcription. It must be free of corrections, overwriting, and stray marks.

Typing speed calculated by dividing the total number of words typed by the time taken, without deducting errors. It shows raw speed only and is not a fair measure of usable output.

Usable typing speed found by deducting a penalty for each error from the gross speed and dividing by the time taken. It reflects the speed of accurate, presentable output.

Typing without looking at the keys, with each finger assigned to a fixed group of keys. It allows sustained speed because the eyes stay on the copy.

The middle row of letter keys on which the fingers rest between keystrokes, usually asdf for the left hand and jkl; for the right hand on a standard keyboard.

The proportion of characters or words typed correctly. In speed tests it is measured through error counts, with penalties applied to gross speed to arrive at net speed.

Carefully comparing a finished document against the source or against sense, checking spelling, figures, names, punctuation, and layout before the document is released.

A formal written intimation to members stating the date, time, place, and business of a meeting. It must be sent within the period laid down by the rules.

The ordered list of items to be discussed at a meeting, circulated with the notice. It keeps discussion on track and forms the basis for writing the minutes.

The official record of what was discussed and decided at a meeting, written in the past tense and third person, and confirmed at the next meeting.

The minimum number of members who must be present for a meeting to be validly held and for its decisions to bind. It is usually fixed by the rules or statute.

A record in which every letter or document received by an office is entered with a serial number, date of receipt, sender, and subject, before it is routed onward.

A record of all letters and documents sent out from an office, showing the serial number, date of dispatch, addressee, and subject for future reference and follow-up.

A polite follow-up letter sent when no reply has been received to an earlier communication, referring to the original letter and asking for an early response.

A short letter confirming that a letter, order, payment, or document has been received, often stating what action will follow and when.

A preliminary version of a letter or report prepared for approval before fair copying. It may be revised for wording, tone, and factual accuracy.

One letter on a single subject sent identically to many recipients, often used for announcements, price changes, or publicity. It carries no personal address inside.

A sentence pattern in which the object of the action becomes the subject, as in the report was submitted. It is useful in formal writing when the doer is unknown or unimportant.

Agreement between parts of a sentence, especially between a subject and its verb in number and person, and between a pronoun and its antecedent.

The level of language suited to official and business writing: complete sentences, no slang, restrained tone, and standard abbreviations only where universally accepted.

Writing a word from one script in the letters of another script so that its sound is preserved, for example writing a Marathi name in Roman letters.

Conveying the meaning of a text from one language into another, keeping the sense, tone, and register rather than following the original word order mechanically.

A word with a precise meaning in a specialised field, such as a legal or administrative expression. In translation it is usually kept in its accepted standard form rather than paraphrased.

An expression beginning with an equals sign that calculates a value from cell references and operators, recalculating automatically whenever the referenced cells change.

A word-processing feature that combines one main document with a list of records to produce many personalised letters or labels from a single template.

The suffix after the dot in a file name, such as .docx or .pdf, that tells the operating system which program should open the file.