The word 'build' has the e in place, and so does develop (second e), but telephone leaves the second e out (t-e-l-f-o-n). Yet 'original' is o-r-e-j-n-l (why the e before the downstroke on this one?) It is REALLY slowing me down, because I'm forever trying to think of whether or not I should put in a's and e's or leave them out. I've tried to decide if it's downstrokes (like the short u sounds) that determine it--but no, that's not it. I thought maybe it was whether or not the vowel was stressed...obviously that's not the answer either (look at 'pencil'). Could it be that the Gregg system is so quirky and arbitrary that you just have to learn all of these questionable words by rote with nothing to go on theory-wise? I hope that's not the case.
I once had a shorthand teacher tell me "as long as you can read it, it doesn't matter"...but surely there's a right and a wrong on this...it can't be that everyone just decides for himself if it's write to put the vowel in or omit it, do they?
Can anyone shed some light on this for me? It's about the only thing that's really holding me back.
(by troyfullerton for everyone)