149. Number of Breve-signs. - There are twelve principal breve-signs used in phonography, the forms of which are here shown:

Of these signs, Nos. 6 and 7 are shaded; all the rest are made light.

150.   How to Write the Breves. - The breve-signs are struck as follows: Nos. 1, 6, and 7 are always written downward, and No. 5 always upward. Nos. 2, 3, 8, and 9 are usually written downward, and 4, 10, and 11, usually from left to right. No. 12 is usually struck from the right over to the left - that is, with a movement opposite to that of the hands of a clock.

151.   Names of the Breves. - Convenient names for the straight and curved breves may be formed by adding the suffix oid (meaning "like")to the sounds of the consonant-stems which, as regards form, direction, and shading, the breves resemble. Thus, the first eleven breves at 149 are named respectively as follows : Choid, Toid, Poid, Koid, Roid, Joid, Doid, Thoid, Soid, Noid, and Moid. The name of No. 12 is Iss.

152.   Striking Breves Backward. - The learner should practise writing all the breves, except Choid, Roid, Joid, and Doid, backward as well as forward, as in practice they are written both ways. The arrow-heads in the following cut show the directions of pen-movements:

153.   Names of Back-stroke Breves. - The back-stroke breves may be called Up-Toid, Up-Poid, Left-Koid, Up-Thoid, Up-Soid, Left-Noid, and Left-Moid.