Stenotype keyboards are the fastest proven means for encoding verbal information into machine-compatible form, hence they can be used as interfaces for real-time control of speech synthesisers. Systems have been developed for the British Palantype and American stenograph keyboards, and these have been operated at real speech rates by skilled stenotypists. As well as being used with prepared texts, the systems were trialled successfully in spontaneous dialogue, the brisk speech rate allowing the dialogues to be fluent- articulate and relatively natural.