Boyd's syllabic shorthand

(However, a smaller version of the same shape represents an extra consonant without a vowel.)

Most of the syllables with the vowel "i" have a shape like the "a" series, except that the angle between the short tick and the long line is approximately 45° rather than 90°; there are a few "i" forms that do not fit the pattern (such as "is" and "it") because they are especially common, and some of the forms that might be expected to represent "i" plus a consonant have been turned to other purposes, such as the prefix "circum-."

The syllables with the vowel "o" have ovaline ends, and those with "u" have hooks like those of the "e" series, but the main, longer part of the mark is curved, rather than straight.

These are assigned arbitrarily to combinations of sounds such as "fl," "sp," "gr," and "ch."

The 1912 edition of the system expands the use of these characters to include longer sequences like "contr" and "circum."