How long does it take to read Word by Word?
Kory Stamper
Word by Word by Kory Stamper takes about 5 hours 26 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.
About 5 hours 26 minutes
A weekend read
First published 2017. 296 pages, about 81,400 words.
11 days at 30 minutes a day
Estimate based on 275 words per page.
At other speeds
| Slow, 150 words a minute | 9 hours 3 minutes |
| Average, 250 words a minute | 5 hours 26 minutes |
| Fast, 400 words a minute | 3 hours 24 minutes |
The page count is the median across 3 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.
About the book
"Brimming with intelligence and personality, a vastly entertaining account of how dictionaries are made - a must read for word mavens. Have you ever tried to define the word "is?" Do you have strong feelings about the word (and, yes, it is a word) "irregardless?" Did you know that OMG was first used in 1917, in a letter to Winston Churchill? These are the questions that keep lexicographers up at night. While most of us might take dictionaries for granted, 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 and how to define, to the knotty questions of usage in an ever-changing language. She explains why the 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. Throughout Stamper brings to life the hallowed halls (and highly idiosyncratic cubicles) of Merriam-Webster, a surprisingly rich world inhabited by quirky and erudite individuals who quietly shape the way we communicate. A sure delight for all lovers of words, Harmless Drudges will also improve readers' grasp and use of the English language"--
Subjects: Encyclopedias and dictionaries, Lexicography, Lexicographers, History and criticism, Biography, History
