I'm sure I saw a discussion on this, but I've searched the archives back through May and couldn't locate it. I'm now using kernel 2.4.7; I'm using LTLK as my default but also do have bns compiled into the kernel for future use with an old classic if necessary. I believe I started having this problem with 2.4.5. Missing the first letter doesn't sound like a big deal, but it makes real interesting words out of options in make config! It doesn't happen to me in emacspeak, just in speakup. Is this a common problem and, if so, is it fixable? If this is not a problem others are experiencing, is there something on my system which I should be examining? Thanks. Cheryl