Word by Word

The Secret Life of Dictionaries

By: Kory Stamper

Narrated by: Kory Stamper

Do you have strong feelings about the word “irregardless”? Have you ever tried to define the word “is”? Brimming with intelligence and personality, this vastly entertaining account of how dictionaries are made is a must-read for word mavens.

Many of us take dictionaries for granted, and few may realize that the process of writing dictionaries is, in fact, as lively and dynamic as language itself. With sharp wit and irreverence, Kory Stamper cracks open the complex, obsessive world of lexicography, from the agonizing decisions about what to define and how to do it, to the knotty questions of usage in an ever-changing language. She explains why small words are the most difficult to define, how it can take nine months to define a single word, and how our biases about language and pronunciation can have tremendous social influence. And along the way, she reveals little-known surprises—for example, the fact that “OMG” was first used in a letter to Winston Churchill in 1917.

Word by Word brings to life the hallowed halls (and highly idiosyncratic cubicles) of Merriam-Webster, a startlingly rich world inhabited by quirky and erudite individuals who quietly shape the way we communicate. Certain to be a delight for all lovers of words, Stamper’s debut will make you laugh as much as it makes you appreciate the wonderful complexities and eccentricities of the English language.

Critic reviews

"As a writer, Kory Stamper can do anything with words: define them, split them, lump them, agglute them, and make them work for her every bit as ferociously and precisely as she works for them in her day job as a far from mild-mannered lexicographer at Merriam-Webster. You will never take a dictionary entry for granted again." —Mary Norris, bestselling author of Between You & Me

"A love letter to letters themselves... A cheerful and thoughtful rebuke of the cult of the grammar scolds. Stamper [is] a wry and charming correspondent. Word by Word is, like a dictionary itself, a composite affair: It’s a memoir that is also an explanation of the work that writing a dictionary entails." —Megan Garber, The Atlantic

"An unlikely page-turner…Stamper displays a contagious enthusiasm for words...Illuminating." —The New Yorker

"Delightful… Informed, irreverent and witty…A gloriously (occasionally even uproariously) well written book, and unsurprisingly erudite. Do read [Word by Word]." —Stevie Godson, New York Journal of Books

Excellent Words!

I love words and this book is a completely fun listen thanks to the author/reader. Who knew that making a dictionary is so much grueling work? And that it is also interesting? Stamper's love of her work shines throughout this very interesting book.
Take a listen and learn some new words.

A word nerd's delight

I loved this book. Kory is a great narrator and she does a fantastic job of using anecdotes to describe working as a lexicographer.

I loved it!

If you are fascinated by words, you will love this book. A look into the life of a lexicographer and the creation of a dictionary.

So much fun!

All of the sudden I find myself asking everyone to repeat themselves. It's amazing to think about all the words that we take for granted.

A MUST read

Ms. Stamper writes what would normally be considered "dry" reading for the layperson into something so clever and fun and insanely educational! This should be required reading in school