Xah Shorthand System (Abbrev Input)

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

notes on creating a shorthand system for typing on computer keyboard. 

;; 2023-11-09

;; most common, top 1k
("ab" "about")
("adi" "adding")
("aft" "after")
("ag" "again")
("agn" "against")
("ant" "another")
("ard" "already")
("b" "but")
("bf" "before")
("bk" "because")
("bn" "been")
("bt" "between")
("btr" "better")
("cj" "change")
("cji" "changing")
("cn" "cannot")
("ds" "does")
("enth" "anything")
("evr" "every")
("evrd" "everyday")
("evrt" "every time")
("evrth" "everything")
("evrw" "everyone")
("f" "for")
("fnl" "finally")
("h" "have")
("hev" "however")
("hr" "here")
("hs" "has")
("k" "know")
("kd" "could")
("l" "let")
("lk" "look")
("lt" "little")
("m" "more")
("mb" "maybe")
("min" "minute")
("mk" "make")
("n" "and")
("o" "of")
("oft" "often")
("ov" "over")
("ow" "always")
("pb" "problem" xah--abhook)
("ph" "perhaps")
("pls" "please")
("pp" "people")
("pt" "point")
("r" "are")
("rly" "really")
("rlz" "realize")
("rlzs" "realizes")
("rt" "return")
("sd" "should")
("sec" "second" xah--abhook)
("sm" "some")
("st" "sometime" )
("sth" "something")
("sts" "sometimes" )
("t" "the")
("thi" "thing")
("ths" "these")
("thx" "thanks")
("tir" "their")
("tk" "think")
("tki" "thinking")
("tm" "them")
("tm" "time")
("tn" "than")
("tos" "those")
("tot" "thought")
("tr" "there")
("ts" "this")
("tt" "that")
("ty" "they")
("u" "you")
("uds" "understand")
("udstd" "understanding")
("ur" "your")
("usl" "usually")
("w" "with")
("wa" "what")
("wc" "which")
("wd" "would")
("wh" "where")
("wm" "woman")
("wme" "women")
("wn" "when")
("wo" "without")
("wr" "were" )
("wt" "want" xah--abhook)
("yrs" "years")

    ;; most common phrases

("abi" "about it")
("atm" "at the moment")
("btw" "by the way")
("co" "check out")
("ct" "can't")
("ddn" "did not")
("ddnt" "didn't")
("di" "does it")
("dn" "do not")
("dnt" "don't")
("dsn" "does not")
("dsnt" "doesn't")
("dunno" "don't know")
("hdu" "how do you")
("hn" "have not")
("hrr" "here are")
("hrs" "here's")
("hsn" "has not")
("hsnt" "hasn't")
("ht" "how to")
("hvnt" "haven't")
("hvt" "have to")
("hws" "how is")
("ic" "I see")
("idk" "I don't know")
("ii" "it is")
("il" "I will")
("im" "I'm")
("isb" "it should be")
("isnt" "isn't")
("itd" "it would")
("itl" "it will")
("itt" "is that")
("iv" "i've")
("ivt" "i have to")
("lka" "look at")
("ls" "let's")
("lss" "let's say")
("nw" "no way")
("oc" "of course")
("od" "one would")
("ot" "of the")
("pov" "point of view")
("rl" "real life")
("rn" "are not")
("sdb" "should be")
("sdn" "shouldn't")
("sdnt" "shouldn't")
("sdv" "should have")
("sdvb" "should have been")
("tb" "to be")
("tis" "it is")
("tosr" "those are")
("trr" "there are")
("trs" "there is")
("tsr" "these are")
("tss" "this is")
("ttr" "that are")
("tts" "that is")
("tu" "thank you")
("twb" "that would be")
("uc" "you see")
("ul" "you'll")
("uv" "you've")
("wdnt" "wouldn't")
("wl" "we will")
("wnt" "won't")
("ws" "what is")
("wsnt" "wasn't")
("wwr" "we were")

Xah Shorthand System, Intro

Massive new era keyboard based shorthand system in the works.

General Scheme on Xah Shorthand System

some general scheme on abbrev design. this is written and edit as i go over the years working on xah abbrev system casually.

Problem with Using Phonetics

English has 44 phonemes. For example,

Consonant Phonemes:

Vowel Phonemes:

if we gonna use phonetic alphabet as a abbrev system, that means, we need to 3 keys for each words like

which basically means very little saving of keystrokes.

in some cases, more keystrokes, because we need to distinguish vowels.

so, this means, a pure phonemes based abbrev system won't work.

Xah Talk Show 2022-02-02

Keybinding and Input-System