Say What? Books on Language & Linguistics

Non-fiction books about language and linguistics. This is not a list about how to learn a specific language (so, no textbooks here!). The books here are about language(s) in general or about a person's experience learning/with a language. I did include one book about how to learn any language because I think it still fits the theme I'm going for. Please note that I haven't read of these yet, so can't recommend a specific one. Recommendations are welcome! 😊

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created by Bexii

last updated April, 2026

8 books

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Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language

Amanda Montell

Fifty Sounds: A Memoir of Language, Learning, and Longing

Polly Barton

Exophony: Voyages Outside the Mother Tongue

Yōko Tawada

A Myriad of Tongues: How Languages Reveal Differences in How We Think

Caleb Everett

Fluent Forever (Revised Edition): How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It

Gabriel Wyner

Introducing Linguistics: A Graphic Guide (Graphic Guides)

R.L. Trask

Babel: Around the World in Twenty Languages

Gaston Dorren

In the Land of Invented Languages: Esperanto Rock Stars, Klingon Poets, Loglan Lovers, and the Mad Dreamers Who Tried to Build a Perfect Language

Arika Okrent

Comments

theaisreading

you should add The Language Lover's Puzzle Book! it's a mix of language based puzzles and educational explanations on their origins/workings/backgrounds :D