DISTINGUISHING OUTLINES
 

Most outlines are unique when written in their correct form and with all their vowels. The rules allow for representing pairs or clusters of sounds in different ways, according to whether they have vowels between, form separate syllables, or stressed or unstressed syllables. This choice of ways to represent a succession of consonants is what allows Pitman's to be written mostly without vowel signs and still be clear.

It is not possible to omit every vowel sign, as there are outlines that have the same consonant structure and position. The system is designed to enable full representation, but allow omission of vowels as suits the writer and the purpose of the writing.

Some Distinguishing Outlines have been introduced throughout the Lessons, and they are repeated here with some extras. They fall into three categories:

RULE One of the pair is written against the general rule, to provide extra differentiation, as it is quicker to write a slightly different outline than to go back and write in the vowels.

VOWEL Essential to insert the distinguishing vowel in each.

SIMILAR Some pairs are similar to each other but not exactly the same. This is not a problem when they are written neatly, but may be misread for each other when written at speed, or if the writer is unsure of the correct form. They therefore need extra caution, and inserting a vowel is often helpful to guard against misreading.

The few that it is not possible to differentiate in the dictionary outline are principally those using halving or doubling and having the same vowel, e.g. pained paint, mound mount, mutter/mother. Even this can be overcome if necessary by writing all the strokes in full.

Short forms and contractions are underlined.

(A) RULE

A rule is ignored for one of the outlines, to produce a distinctive outline:

adverse diverse, birth burial

British brutish, cost caused, debtor editor

endless needless*, endlessly needlessly*

* This form also allows the first vowel to be inserted clearly

forgive forget, greatly gradually

fatal vital futile (See Extra Vocabulary below for more derivatives of these)

favoured favourite, further farther*,

* "farther" refers only to physical distance

hardy hearty, indefinite undefined

 next newest, nugget ingot*

* The sound is "ing" as shown, although dictionary outline shows N stroke

unavoidable inevitable, poor pure

prominent permanent pre-eminent

regard regret, righting writing

routine written, truest dearest

woman* women, human* humane

* Special outline, in first position following the last vowel

(B) VOWEL

Inserting the vowel is essential, as these outlines are identical in shape and position:

absolute obsolete, adapt adopt, altitude latitude

amazing amusing, apathetic pathetic

appealing appalling, apposite opposite

auditor daughter, brief, number of, fortunately fortnightly*

* This is a British term meaning 14 days, i.e. "fourt(een) nights"

dehumanise demonise, emailed mailed

enjoyable knowledgeable, dedicate deduct detect educate

evict evacuate vacate, extract extricate

god guide, nicely honestly, invite invade

knees nose, oppose pass

snow snowy, sun sunny, specialist specialised

(C) SIMILAR

These outlines are different when written carefully  but may end up looking similar when written at speed:

appropriate proper, arrears errors

ankle knuckle, audit edit, broadly particularly,

cause influence, consequently secondly

defect difficulty, defined definite

final official, fixed focussed

inform notify, pleasant pleasing, sacred secret

rarely really, reserves resources

station situation circumstances, truly utterly

These are clearly different under the normal rules, but might be incorrectly written for each other if the writer is unsure about the correct form:

available valuable, thankless thoughtless

The following should retain the Con Dot, and not be written using proximity for the con- syllable, which could lead to misreading:

test contest, text context

EXTRA VOCABULARY

Derivatives of Section (A):

adversity diversity editorial favouritism forgiving

fatally vitally futilely fatality vitality futility

hardily heartily compare hardly, indefinitely

poorer poorest purer purest secretive

regarded regretted rightness writings

Derivatives of Section (B):

adoption adaptation eviction evacuation vacation

dedication deduction detection education educational*

* A diphthong sign is normally written outside of a Shun Hook, but here there is nowhere else for it to go

specialisation extraction extrication thanklessly thoughtlessly

Derivatives of Section (C):

causing influencing caused influenced

defective situational stationary* stationery*

* StationARy like a cAR, stationERy like papER

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