Stenographers

Stenographers are professionals who render spoken language into written text, primarily through stenography. The largest group work as court reporters in legal settings, but stenographic skills are also used for captioning, accessibility, and transcripts of meetings, depositions, and hearings.

The main tool is a stenotype machine, a compact keyboard with about 22 keys. Operators press multiple keys at once to form phonetic codes or chords, which software translates into English text, enabling rapid and real-time transcription.

Stenographers work in courtrooms, government offices, newsrooms, conferences, and online platforms. They provide verbatim transcripts, manage exhibits, and, for broadcasts, supply real-time captions. Confidentiality and accuracy are core ethical obligations.

Training generally occurs through accredited court-reporting programs. Practitioners learn legal terminology, punctuation, and dictionaries, and must pass speed and accuracy tests. Typical speeds range from about 180-225 words per minute for many professionals, with higher levels exceeding 260 wpm; certification from bodies such as the National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) is common.

Historically, stenography evolved from shorthand systems, with modern stenotype machines appearing in the 20th century and now integrating digital and real-time software.