Avoid the omission or suppression of any letter that is really sounded. Some erroneously write f-ah-m for farm, cod (cand), for cord, etc. Those who have been in the habit of writing the old phonography have formed many injurious habits of omission. They are too numerous to specify; but let it be observed that we follow entirely different principles.

On the other hand, avoid writing a sound that is suppressed when the word is properly pronounced. The vowels in most final unaccented syllables are silent, or so slightly pronounced as to lead to very awkward reading if distinguished. This is the case in the final syllables of the following words: given, mason, lessen, lesson, giver, ruler, cellar, musical, notion, mission, ransom, seldom, etc. Nearly all final unaccented syllables either lose the vocal sound entirely, or retain a very obscure sound, which it would be difficult to characterize properly. In the common style of Tachygraphy all such vowels are omitted.

There is a class of common short words, among which there, that, and the are most noticeable, that seem to lose their vocal sound when spoken very hurriedly, and to preserve it fully and clearly when emphatic. The omission of such vowels is phonetically proper, when they arc obscure, and the polished writer will mark the emphatic word by inserting the vowel when it is fully sounded. A proper observance of this principle gives a life and force to tachygraphic writing hitherto unattained. The following words may be vocalized to render them emphatic: there, that, the, then, shall, have, can, cannot, from, for, of, to, do, was, he, we, etc., etc. When not emphatic, the vowels of all these words may be omitted.