Light-Line Phonography

work by Gregg

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

Light-Line Phonography was an early shorthand system developed by John Robert Gregg in 1888. This system was phonetic and based on the natural cursive movements of longhand. Gregg's work later evolved into what is now known as Gregg shorthand, a popular system that uses curvilinear motions and omits shading, unlike other systems like Pitman shorthand. Gregg shorthand has been adapted for use in many languages worldwide.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

John Robert Gregg
…had published a 28-page pamphlet, Light-Line Phonography (1888), presenting his own shorthand alphabet, which was phonetic and based on the regular cursive movements of familiar longhand. This alphabet later was adapted to 13 languages.
Read More
…had published a 28-page pamphlet, Light-Line Phonography (1888), presenting his own shorthand alphabet, which was phonetic and based on the regular cursive movements of familiar longhand. This alphabet later was adapted to 13 languages.
Read More