Discover new books on Goodreads
Meet your next favorite book

Words Books

Showing 1-50 of 15,521
The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll through the Hidden Connections of the English Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 32 times as words)
avg rating 4.23 — 12,903 ratings — published 2011
Rate this book
Clear rating
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation (Hardcover)
by (shelved 23 times as words)
avg rating 3.87 — 106,889 ratings — published 2003
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Dictionary of Lost Words The Dictionary of Lost Words (Paperback)
by (shelved 21 times as words)
avg rating 4.01 — 201,560 ratings — published 2020
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary (Paperback)
by (shelved 19 times as words)
avg rating 3.84 — 124,059 ratings — published 1998
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Word Collector The Word Collector (Hardcover)
by (shelved 18 times as words)
avg rating 4.38 — 5,113 ratings — published 2018
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way (Paperback)
by (shelved 18 times as words)
avg rating 3.91 — 44,918 ratings — published 1990
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus (Hardcover)
by (shelved 16 times as words)
avg rating 4.08 — 6,708 ratings — published 2014
Rate this book
Clear rating
Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries (Hardcover)
by (shelved 14 times as words)
avg rating 4.18 — 9,525 ratings — published 2017
Rate this book
Clear rating
Other-Wordly: Words Both Strange and Lovely from Around the World Other-Wordly: Words Both Strange and Lovely from Around the World (Hardcover)
by (shelved 14 times as words)
avg rating 4.21 — 2,158 ratings — published 2016
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows (Hardcover)
by (shelved 12 times as words)
avg rating 4.44 — 6,617 ratings — published 2018
Rate this book
Clear rating
Frindle Frindle (Paperback)
by (shelved 12 times as words)
avg rating 3.86 — 126,844 ratings — published 1996
Rate this book
Clear rating
Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 11 times as words)
avg rating 4.04 — 12,818 ratings — published 2019
Rate this book
Clear rating
Word Power Made Easy Word Power Made Easy (Mass Market Paperback)
by (shelved 11 times as words)
avg rating 4.42 — 9,266 ratings — published 1949
Rate this book
Clear rating
Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World (Hardcover)
by (shelved 11 times as words)
avg rating 4.23 — 4,125 ratings — published 2014
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Story of English in 100 Words The Story of English in 100 Words (Hardcover)
by (shelved 11 times as words)
avg rating 3.92 — 2,594 ratings — published 2011
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Dictionary Story The Dictionary Story (Hardcover)
by (shelved 10 times as words)
avg rating 4.31 — 1,314 ratings — published
Rate this book
Clear rating
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words: A Writer's Guide to Getting It Right Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words: A Writer's Guide to Getting It Right (Paperback)
by (shelved 10 times as words)
avg rating 3.89 — 3,254 ratings — published 1984
Rate this book
Clear rating
Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters (Paperback)
by (shelved 10 times as words)
avg rating 3.94 — 61,830 ratings — published 2001
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Horologicon: A Day's Jaunt Through the Lost Words of the English Language The Horologicon: A Day's Jaunt Through the Lost Words of the English Language (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 9 times as words)
avg rating 3.95 — 2,583 ratings — published 2012
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Elements of Style The Elements of Style (Hardcover)
by (shelved 9 times as words)
avg rating 4.18 — 88,223 ratings — published 1918
Rate this book
Clear rating
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (Hardcover)
by (shelved 8 times as words)
avg rating 4.42 — 933 ratings — published 1870
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase (Hardcover)
by (shelved 8 times as words)
avg rating 4.35 — 7,574 ratings — published 2013
Rate this book
Clear rating
Lexie the Word Wrangler Lexie the Word Wrangler (Hardcover)
by (shelved 8 times as words)
avg rating 3.63 — 390 ratings — published 2017
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Book Thief The Book Thief (Kindle Edition)
by (shelved 8 times as words)
avg rating 4.39 — 2,964,370 ratings — published 2005
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language (Paperback)
by (shelved 8 times as words)
avg rating 4.01 — 22,720 ratings — published 1994
Rate this book
Clear rating
Mother Tongue: The Surprising History of Women's Words Mother Tongue: The Surprising History of Women's Words (Hardcover)
by (shelved 7 times as words)
avg rating 3.80 — 1,431 ratings — published 2023
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Liar's Dictionary The Liar's Dictionary (Hardcover)
by (shelved 7 times as words)
avg rating 3.35 — 10,987 ratings — published 2020
Rate this book
Clear rating
Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language (Hardcover)
by (shelved 7 times as words)
avg rating 4.22 — 30,139 ratings — published 2019
Rate this book
Clear rating
Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style (Hardcover)
by (shelved 7 times as words)
avg rating 4.34 — 9,555 ratings — published 2019
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Lost Words The Lost Words (Hardcover)
by (shelved 7 times as words)
avg rating 4.48 — 6,861 ratings — published 2017
Rate this book
Clear rating
Big Words for Little Geniuses Big Words for Little Geniuses (Hardcover)
by (shelved 7 times as words)
avg rating 4.02 — 562 ratings — published
Rate this book
Clear rating
Max's Words (Max's Words, #1) Max's Words (Max's Words, #1)
by (shelved 7 times as words)
avg rating 4.18 — 984 ratings — published 2006
Rate this book
Clear rating
Bird by Bird Bird by Bird (Paperback)
by (shelved 7 times as words)
avg rating 4.24 — 114,356 ratings — published 1994
Rate this book
Clear rating
Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States (Paperback)
by (shelved 7 times as words)
avg rating 3.92 — 16,307 ratings — published 1994
Rate this book
Clear rating
L Is for Lollygag: Quirky Words for a Clever Tongue L Is for Lollygag: Quirky Words for a Clever Tongue (Hardcover)
by (shelved 7 times as words)
avg rating 4.34 — 116 ratings — published 2008
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Little Book of Lost Words: Collywobbles, Snollygosters, and 86 Other Surprisingly Useful Terms Worth Resurrecting The Little Book of Lost Words: Collywobbles, Snollygosters, and 86 Other Surprisingly Useful Terms Worth Resurrecting (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as words)
avg rating 4.10 — 388 ratings — published
Rate this book
Clear rating
What a Wonderful Word: A Collection of Untranslatable Words from Around the World What a Wonderful Word: A Collection of Untranslatable Words from Around the World (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as words)
avg rating 4.48 — 386 ratings — published 2018
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Phantom Tollbooth The Phantom Tollbooth (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as words)
avg rating 4.20 — 312,620 ratings — published 1961
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Very Inappropriate Word The Very Inappropriate Word (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as words)
avg rating 4.08 — 609 ratings — published 2013
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Boy Who Loved Words The Boy Who Loved Words (Hardcover)
by (shelved 6 times as words)
avg rating 4.01 — 984 ratings — published 2006
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Word Museum: The Most Remarkable English Words Ever Forgotten The Word Museum: The Most Remarkable English Words Ever Forgotten (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as words)
avg rating 3.88 — 253 ratings — published 2000
Rate this book
Clear rating
A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi": The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English (Blackboard Books) A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi": The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English (Blackboard Books)
by (shelved 6 times as words)
avg rating 3.59 — 258 ratings — published 2009
Rate this book
Clear rating
Rate this book
Clear rating
Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as words)
avg rating 3.83 — 7,258 ratings — published 2008
Rate this book
Clear rating
Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as words)
avg rating 3.83 — 5,682 ratings — published 2002
Rate this book
Clear rating
An Exaltation of Larks: The Ultimate Edition An Exaltation of Larks: The Ultimate Edition (Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as words)
avg rating 4.06 — 828 ratings — published 1968
Rate this book
Clear rating
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (Mass Market Paperback)
by (shelved 6 times as words)
avg rating 4.34 — 326,376 ratings — published 2002
Rate this book
Clear rating
They Have a Word for It: A Lighthearted Lexicon of Untranslatable Words & Phrases They Have a Word for It: A Lighthearted Lexicon of Untranslatable Words & Phrases (Paperback)
by (shelved 5 times as words)
avg rating 3.85 — 317 ratings — published 1988
Rate this book
Clear rating
Stacey’s Extraordinary Words (The Stacey Stories, 1) Stacey’s Extraordinary Words (The Stacey Stories, 1)
by (shelved 5 times as words)
avg rating 4.53 — 1,713 ratings — published 2021
Rate this book
Clear rating


Divergent by Veronica RothMockingjay by Suzanne CollinsTwilight by Stephenie MeyerTalented by Sophie  DavisLegend by Marie Lu
Single Word Titles
843 books — 75 voters
Rebecca by Daphne du MaurierGone Girl by Gillian FlynnWhen Secrets Bloom by Patricia  FurstenbergThe Carer by Scott  L. NelsonDon't Close Your Eyes by Lynessa James
Best Books of Secrets
249 books — 144 voters

More lists...
John  Green
“He liked the mere act of reading, the magic of turning scratches on a page into words inside his head.”
John Green, An Abundance of Katherines

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad ar-Rumi
“Words are a pretext. It is the inner bond that draws one person to another, not words.”
Rumi

More quotes...