A method and apparatus for reducing the bit rate of multi-input systems that employ space-time coding by displacing in signal space the derivatives of a symbol. A mapped particular symbol is space-time coded to generate transmit-sequences having a phase-shifted version of the particular symbol, the phase-shifted version and the particular symbol differing in phase by an amount other than by 90.degree., 180.degree., and 270.degree.. In one embodiment, the particular symbol represents a point in a first symbol constellation and the derivatives of the particular symbol represent points in a displaced symbol constellation. In another embodiment, the particular symbol and another symbol are space-time coded to form the transmit-sequences. The derivatives of the particular symbol represent points in a first symbol constellation and derivatives of the other symbol represent points of a second symbol constellation. The two constellations are displaced versions of each other. The displacement can be a phase shift and/or a change in amplitude. Illustratively, the two symbols are ones whose received versions interfere with each other after the two transmit-sequences are space-time decoded at the receiver. Displacing the derivatives of symbols reduces the bit error rate and thus increases the capacity of the system. Particularly, such a displacement increases the distance between symbols of a constellation whose points represent the combination of the derivatives of two the symbols.