CIRCLE S
 

This and subsequent Lessons are in Sections A, B, C etc. Work the appropriate exercises at the end of each section.

Strokes S and Zee are used when a word begins or ends in a vowel, so that a vowel sign can be placed against them. When the word begins or ends with the S sound, it is represented by a small circle, and most outlines use this method.

ask sack bossy boss nosy nose

At the beginning of an outline, it represents only the S sound. In the middle or end of an outline, it represents both the S and Zee sounds.

Circle S is written about one fifth of the length of the stroke.

All vowel signs are placed in relation to the stroke, never to the circle, although signs some may end up adjacent to the circle.

(A) Straight strokes

Circle S is written anticlockwise on straight strokes.

At the beginning of an outline, the circle is read first, before the vowels and strokes:

sap sip sob sought set sit
 

sad said Sid such sick seek
 

sorry Sarah search research

spa spoke stay stow ski skid sketch

At the end of a stroke or syllable, it is read last, after the stroke and its vowels:
 

apes pays/pace ebbs bays/base eats teas/tease

days/daze does leads roads weeds

chase cheese choose/chews jaws juice/Jews
 

space soups suppose stays sits

skis rows/rose ways/weighs use/ewes yes

The circle continues anticlockwise between two straight strokes that go in the same direction:
 

passbook tacit cask

In the middle of an outline, the circle is written outside the angle of two straight strokes:
 

pasty opposite task disk

discuss receipt risk recipe
 

raspberry wasp history justice

passage dosage succeed sixty

(B) Curved strokes

The circle is written inside curves:

safe soothe same some/sum sun/son

seen soon since/sins snows sing

small sir slow sell Sally

salary office face fuss fussing

lives loves vase these paths
 

shows ashes aims maze/maize moss
 

inns nose/knows ears less laws lose/loose

small illness cinema police Smith James

Where two curves go in opposite directions (e.g. one clockwise and the other anticlockwise) the circle is written inside the first curve:

amassing mason massive missive
 

assessing assassin arisen arson

Note: The combinations N-S-L and Ith-S-L are covered in Lesson 16

Between a straight and a curved stroke, the circle is always written inside the curve:

pose poser, teas/tease teaser keys castle,

rose rustle, ways weasel, use useless

passing absence dozen deceive mask

misty message mask magazine

Wednesday nasty visit Alaska

chasing chosen Jason Joseph

In words like the following, the final R sound is written with a Ray, to continue the motion of the preceding stroke and circle:
 

officer answer sincere racer/raiser user

To help with remembering where the vowel sign goes, mentally remove the circle and place the vowel where it would normally go against the stroke:

app sap, at sat, add sad
 

age sage, ache sake, pa spa

Tay stay, itch such, edge sedge

aim same, inn sin, ink sink

no snow, ale sale, low slow

err sir, ore sore

Placing the vowel signs:

A first or third place vowel mark, on the same side as the circle, is written just outside the circle. The vowel is read in relation to the stroke, not where it is in relation to the circle:

spa peas/piece/peace sack picks smack sank

miss inns fees pushes lose/loose ears

Between strokes that have a circle between them, a third place vowel stays with the first stroke. The vowel sign does not move forward to the next stroke, because it is spoken before the S sound:

business dismay disco reason

choosing physics fizzing missing misled

(C) Short Forms

The short forms "as/has" and "is/his" are the only outlines where the Circle S is written alone. Write the lone circle anticlockwise, starting from the top:

as/has, is/his, those this thus (these*)

* "these" is a normal outline, see Phrases below

special-ly speak subject-ed its* because several-ly

*This is the possessive, the apostrophied phrase "it's" is written as a full outline with vowel

Circle S is added to short forms:

speaks puts subjects differences gives goes

thanks thinks things beings doings
 

goings ours/hours yours years wishes

Phrases

is the/his the, as the/has the, it is*, it is the

* Note that this phrase is the same outline as the short form "its"
 

she is, who is/who has, who is the/who has the, speaks the, because of the
 

thinks the, for his, for those*, for this, for these*

* Insert the vowels as shown, when the short form is out of position within a phrase. "These" is a normal outline.

Circle S is used for "us" at the end of a phrase:
 

of us, to us, for us, to give us, to make us, to take us

SUMMARY

• The circle is written:
  -- anticlockwise on straight strokes
  -- inside curves
  -- outside angles

• Written inside the first of two curves

• A third place vowel sign remains with its stroke, if a circle comes between two strokes

• The circle is added to short forms

• The circle is used for "us" in phrases

EXTRA VOCABULARY

seep sups apps pass repays spade

spoke abs bees sobs subs

oats toes/tows stows sad sawed seed

seeds ads fads Mondays Saturdays

chase cheese itches ages sages

sock socks sick soak ekes

sums smaller similar sane sunny

incense sneeze Sunday Seth sash

sushi gnashes rays/race rues/ruse woes

sari surface surveys serge surgery

source/soars sear airs erase oars/ores

solo seal celery ails/ales lays/laze

leas/lees mows mess months merges

moneys sieve passive unsafe bustle

pesky bask tusk dusk tasty dusty

cusp beseech rusty muscle/mussel musty misty

cousin chasm spasm dismal lesser

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