How to Type With t9

T9, or predictive text, can be a valuable time saver for people who send frequent text messages. Learning how to use it comfortably, however, can be a challenge. Does your phone really know what you are trying to say? T9 is called "predictive text" because it predicts what you want to type. Think of your phone or other gadget as containing a dictionary and a search engine. As you type each letter, T9 will cross-reference what you type against its dictionary and provide options that match those letter strings. It's a little like finishing your friends' sentences for them. Sometimes you're right, and sometimes you're not. T9 is capable of offering suggestions as you type, but it isn't capable of correcting spelling or grammar errors. Here is a step-by-step guide to using T9 effectively.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Enable T9 on your phone. From your phone's text messaging screen, select "New Message", then "Options", and then "Text Entry Mode." You will see the options available for your phone, usually including standard abc, Abc, and ABC formats as well as T9abc and T9Abc. Select T9Abc from the menu if you would like your sentences to begin with a capitalized word, T9abc if you do not. (If you need assistance finding these menus, refer to your phone's User Guide or Manual, or call Customer Support.)

2. Type with T9 enabled. You should have a prompt ready for you to type a new message. In order to explore T9, let's use the example of "hello." Notice that keys 2 through 9 on your phone have letters printed on them. These are the keys you will use to type words. To type "hello" you begin by pressing "4." You will notice that your screen most likely has predicted "I" instead of "H." Trust your phone, and continue to type, spelling the word accurately. Your next letter is "e" so you press "3." Press "5" twice for your two "l"s, and then press "6" for "o". Your phone has been predicting what you wanted to type, and so it has presented you with, "I," "He," "Gel," "Hell," and finally, "Hello". With standard text entry, it would take 13 keystrokes to type "hello" because you have to press each key from 1 to 4 times to select the correct letter. With T9 you can do it with just 5 keystrokes.

3. Add spacing and punctuation to your message. You'll notice that keys 1 and 0 do not have any letters printed on them. They are reserved for other functions. Pressing "0" will insert a space in your sentence. Pressing "1" will supply punctuation. In addition, your phone will probably give you the option to "Insert" symbols or punctuation in addition to those offered by pressing "1". Let's press "0" to insert a space after "hello" and then add the name of a friend. Type in the name of a friend of yours now.

4. Proofread what you have typed. Chances are that unless your friend's name is "Bob," T9 didn't recognize what you were trying to type. In a situation like this, you must supply the correct word to T9. T9 can predict many words, but it will encounter difficulties if you make a spelling mistake. If you are typing "bicycle" and try to spell it "bycicle," T9 will either stop accepting additional letters for that word, or will simply do it's best and present you with a word that makes no sense at all, such as "awaicke." In addition, there are several English words that use the same keystrokes. T9 doesn't know which one you want, so it begins with the first word in it's dictionary. Common mistakes are "he" instead of "if", "no" instead of "on", and "of" instead of "me". (See Resources below for more information regarding the capabilities and limitations of predictive text.)

5. Correct your mistakes. If the word is not currently highlighted, move your cursor back until it is. When you have a word highlighted, T9 offers you the option to scroll through other words that match that combination of letters. Select "Next" or the equivalent if it is available until the word you want appears. If T9 doesn't have the word you want, keep scrolling until T9 asks you to "Add" a word. At this point you are prompted to enter the exact word you are trying to type and T9 will not interfere. Once you have the word typed as you want it, select "OK" and continue with your message. When you have completed your message, select "Send To" or your phone's equivalent, choose your recipient, and press "OK."

Tips & Warnings

• Some phones not only have T9 capabilities, they are also "smart." Smart phones can be trained to predict text based on what you type most often. For instance, my phone learned to predict "Amy" instead of "any", "boy", "box", or "cow" because I type the name often.
• You can add words to your phone's T9 dictionary at any time. From the New Message screen, select "Options", "Text Entry Settings", and then "T9 Dictionary." Select "Add" from the dictionary screen and input a word that you commonly use.
• If you send over 1,000 text messages a month you may want to consider a phone with a QWERTY keyboard instead of an alpha-numeric keypad. Speak to a wireless representative about your needs so they can match you with the perfect phone.
• Proofread your messages before you send them. This can't be emphasized enough. There are some words in the dictionary that have potentially embarassing counterparts, such as "plate" and "slave".

Resources

• More information about the uses and limitations of T9.
• Shortcuts and tips for using T9, plus a fun T9 translator.