-F as -s

Special thanks to Thomas Pacheco for funding this lesson.

This lesson covers how to substitute -F on the right hand for "s" in words like "fast", "mask", and "schism".

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Because of steno order, -S is very near the end of the layout. That means that we can't write words like "fast" because TPATS is "fats". In order to circumvent steno order, we substitute the -F key for the "s" sound, which might sound like someone speaking with a lisp. So to get "fast", we write TPAFT. We do this whenever we have words ending in -sp, -sk, -sn, -ses, -st, and -sed.

• PHOFT: most
• SKWRUFT: just
• TPAFT: fast
• HREUFP: lisp
• PHAFBG: mask
• REUFBG: risk
• TRUFT: trust
• TPAFPB: fasten
• PWAOFT: boost
• KAFL: castle
• SPAFPL: spasm
• PHAFTS: masts
• SKEUFPL: schism
• TKPWHRAFS: glasses
• KHRAFS: classes
• PHEUFD: missed
• KEUFD: kissed
• KEUFG: kissing

Now you have learned that the -F key is used for "f", "v", and sometimes "s". It's a pretty busy key and sometimes there are phonetic conflicts that you need to resolve. For now, look at all the ways that you can use this key:

• WAFT: waft
• WAEUFT: waist
• WAFD: waved

*S for -st

Plover Theory prefers using -FT for -st in most cases. However, there are times when you need the -FT for something else. In these cases, we use a traditional StenEd -st which is *S:

Most words ending in -st in Plover can be written with both *S and -FT:

• PHOEFT: most (Plover Theory)
• PHO*ES: most (StenEd)

But there are a few exception that you will have to memorize:

• TPO*RS: forest
• HROFT: lot of
  • HRO*S: lost
  • HRO*FT: loft
• HREUFT: lift
  • HR*EUS: list
• PHUFL: muffle
  • PH*UFL: muscle

Chord	Translation	Notes
TPEURS	first	Easier than TPEUFRT or TP*EURS
EUTS	its	Possessive "it"