How in the HECK do you recognize a secondary leading-tone chord?

1. Look for an altered chord!
2. If it's not a V7/ (dominant), then it might be a secondary leading-tone chord.
3. Is the altered chord a diminished triad, fully diminished 7th, or 1/2 diminished 7th chord?  If not, it's some other weird chord and NOT a secondary leading-tone chord.
4. If the answer is "yes", then find the note a m2 (read MINOR SECOND . . . read 1/2 STEP) above the ROOT of the altered chord.
5. If you were to build a major or minor triad built on that note, would it be a DIATONIC TRIAD in that key?  (ex - III in a minor key, VI in a minor key, ii in a major key, V in a major/minor key, etc.)  If so, then the altered chord probably is a 2ndary LT chord!

That's all great . . . now how do you spell them for yourselves?!

1. Find the ROOT of the chord that is to be tonicized (preceded by a 2ndary LT chord)
2. Go DOWN a m2!
3. Using that note as the root, spell a fully diminished triad or 7th chord or a 1/2 diminished 7th chord)
4. Label it [vii-diminished of, for example]

Here's an example.  To spell a viid7/vi in Eb major,

1. The root of vi is C
2. A m2 below C is B(natural)
3. A dim7 chord built on B is spelled B-D-F-Ab

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