MORE ON CIRCLE S, STROKES S AND ZEE

(A) When an outline has a final joined diphthong, adding a Circle S means that the diphthong can no longer be joined:

pew pews, stew stews, due dues

queue/cue queues/cues, few fuse, view views

issue issues, mew mews/muse, new news

bow/bough bows/boughs, vow vows, sow* sows

* Sound as in "cow"

deny denies, renews tissues ensues argues

Matthews values venues avenues menus endows

Between certain awkward combinations of curves, Circle S is written on the outside angle:

facility loathsome enslave toothsome sophism

A few derivatives keep the original placement of their circle, to aid in reading back. This may mean that the circle is occasionally written within the second curve. Note that all of these are N-S-M:
 

seemly unseemly, some, in some, noisome*, smith tinsmith

* i.e. "annoy-some" derived from "annoy" not "noise"

(B) When to use strokes S and Zee

Stroke S or Zee must be used if it is the only consonant sound, as a vowel cannot be written to a circle:
 

ice icy ass us ace say

saw essay assay eyes ease owes

ooze zoo ices asses aces says

saws essays assays eases oozes

A Zee sound as the first consonant always uses stroke Zee, and not a Circle S:
 

zap zeal zero zenith zinc

Zack Zachary Isaac Ezra Isabel

If the word begins or ends with a vowel, the stroke is used, and, other than the Zee words above, this lets you know that there is a vowel, when vowel signs are omitted:
 

sap asp, sack ask, scope escape

sad acid, some assume, pose posy posse

laze lazy lacy lessee, mess messy

noise noisy, fuss/fuzz fussy fuzzy

race racy, rose rosy

For words beginning S + S, the outline begins with the stroke. This enables the Circle S to provide an easy join with any following stroke:
 

sighs/size, seas/sees/seize/cease, sauce/saws, saucer Caesar scissors
 

Cecil saucy so-so see-saw season, ceasing/seizing, sizing

Distinguishing Outlines
 

disease decease (derived from ease and cease)

SUMMARY

• A joined diphthong has to be written separately, if a circle S is added to the outline

• In awkward combinations of curves, the circle is written on the outside angle

• The circle remains with its root word, in derivatives

• A stroke is used if it is the only consonant

• A stroke is used if the word starts or ends with a vowel

• Stroke Zee is always used for an initial Zee sound

• An initial S + S uses stroke S then Circle S

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