SKIP TO CONTENT

idiolect

/ˌɪdiəˈlɛkt/
IPA guide

An idiolect is a person’s specific, unique way of speaking. Everyone has their very own idiolect that differs from the way other people talk.

A dialect is a version of a language spoken by a group of people. An idiolect is much smaller — it’s the way a particular person speaks, at a specific time, as distinct from others. This word is mainly used by linguists when discussing differences in speech from one person to another. Like your fingerprint, your idiolect is unique. It’s kind of like a micro-dialect.

Definitions of idiolect
  1. noun
    the language or speech of one individual at a particular period in life
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘idiolect'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family