Word of the Week: Idiolect

An idiolect is an individual’s variation of speech and language. Every person has a distinctive combination of word choice, grammar, pronunciation, and style that makes up their idiolect. As opposed to a dialect, which encompasses the language of a group of people, an idiolect is much more narrow—is unique to the individual. It is influenced by the language one speaks, where one lives, and one’s socioeconomic status. Interests, hobbies, and audience also have an impact. And because we are always changing as people, an idiolect also changes over time.