Lexicographer

Lexicographers are responsible for creating, updating and maintaining dictionaries. Their work combines research and analysis to define words used in everyday speech.

What is a lexicographer?

Lexicographers are the brains behind modern dictionaries, both print and online. Their work combines detailed linguistic research with preparing dictionaries for publication to mass markets.

Lexicographers work within a variety of industries. This includes being part of a wider publishing house, responsible for editing and producing their dictionaries, or working within a specialist academic field. This is particularly true for fields which require extensive training, such as medicine.

Responsibilities

Your responsibilities as a lexicographer will vary depending on the format of the dictionary you work on.

Common responsibilities include:

• Undertaking detailed research to find the etymologies of common words.
• Researching the common use of words using specialised databases taking information from print publications, books and recordings of spoken language.
• Making detailed assessments of the meanings of words in modern language.
• Writing word meanings for approval by a wider publication team.
• Liaising with specialists in particular fields, such as qualified doctors or lawyers to fact check your decisions for their relevant professional dictionaries.
• Submitting your definition decisions to other dictionary editors for second opinions.
• Using computer packages to add further information to online dictionaries, such as evidence materials or links to original sources.
• Working as part of a wider publication team to ensure your efforts meet the needs of the target audience.
• Proofreading old dictionary entries and adapting based on cultural changes, or changes to meaning.
• Ensuring all dictionary definitions meet publishing specifications, such as word length, layout and format.
• Working alongside native speakers of words used outside the context of original language to include correct pronunciations, often included using the phonetic alphabet.



Salary

A lexicographer salary will vary depending on your expertise, experience and location. The more experienced you are, and the closer to London you are the higher you are likely to earn.


Your training and background will largely come from previous study, then on the job experience.


The average lexicography salary is around £28,000^[1]. Early career editors could earn closer to £20,000^[2]. If you work in the publishing industry and move towards more senior editorial positions, you could earn more. This may mean you spend less time in lexicography itself. Senior editors in publishing houses have been known to earn £45,000 and beyond^[3].

Qualifications

While you do not need a degree to become a lexicographer, it is useful. Most freelance lexicographers will be graduates, and having a linguistic degree is often key to express your authority. Example degrees in this area include:

• English Language degrees
• English Literature degrees
• Librarianship degrees
• Linguistics degrees
• Modern Foreign Language degrees

You could choose to pursue a particular academic field within lexicography. If this is the case, it can be helpful to have a degree in the subject. This is largely due to the use of detailed terms which you will need to be familiar with. If you are working on bilingual or translation dictionaries, you will need to be fluent in both languages being used. A modern foreign language degree can be helpful evidence of this.




Training and development

Your training and background will largely come from previous study, then on the job experience. Many lexicographers begin their work with an employer, then take their skills and go independently. Your employer will usually train you up on their publishing styles as well as any particular specialist guidance they wish you to follow.


Lexicography is a competitive field, so it’s a good idea to build up some experience before applying for lexicography jobs.


To develop your own skills in lexicography, you could access self lead training with various publishing bodies. There are several providers out there offering online and in person courses to develop your knowledge, such as Lexicom. The European Association for Lexicography (Euralex) also offers conferences and publications to help you advance your knowledge, and wider career.

Skills

Your skills as a lexical researcher combine academic knowledge with excellent editing skills.

These include:

• A natural aptitude for the language you work in.
• Translation skills, if you are working on a bilingual or translation based dictionary.
• Excellent research skills.
• Grammatical awareness.
• An ability to create interesting and varied definitions suited to the target audience.
• Excellent verbal communication skills - you will need to pitch for work if freelance, as well as explaining your reasoning behind particular editing decisions to clients or managers.
• An interest in the meanings, histories and pronunciation of common use words.
• Expertise within any specialist disciplines, if this is the focus of your work.
• Proofreading skills to ensure your work is ready and prepared for publication.
• Ability to take on constructive criticism following initial submission of your work.
• Ability to work well independently, especially when working on a freelance basis.
• Good teamworking skills, especially when working collaboratively on a large or high scale project with a publisher.
• Ability to work well to publication and submission guidelines.
• Excellent timekeeping skills - you will usually need to produce a set of definitions to an agreed timescale with a client or employer.



Work Experience

Lexicography is a competitive field, so it’s a good idea to build up some experience before applying for lexicography jobs. Publishing houses that employ lexicographers are a good place to start. Many publishing houses offer internships, though these may be unpaid - so you will need to decide if this is something you can afford to do. The key here is to build up contacts - especially if you plan to work in a freelance capacity eventually.

Working in similar fields to lexicography will be useful to you too. Time spent proofreading or writing, professionally or in a voluntary capacity, could be a good idea. If you are studying towards a linguistics based degree, you could search for modules related to language within your course. It’s also a good idea to reach out to course tutors and subject librarians, to ask if they have any connections in the field.

Career Prospects

The field of lexical linguistics is varied. If you go down the employment route, you will likely begin as a junior or assistant editor working on dictionaries. With time and experience, you could move up to more senior editing positions, overseeing multiple dictionaries and junior staff. If you particularly enjoy the publishing side of work, you could move away from lexicography and onto other forms of academic publishing.


Lexicographers are the brains behind modern dictionaries, both print and online. Their work combines detailed linguistic research with preparing dictionaries for publication to mass markets.


It may be that you choose to take on further academic study to improve your understanding of linguistics. This could be at postgraduate level and cover areas like etymology. Some universities offer lexicographer as a PhD research option, also. With a PhD, many lexicographers go on to teach on linguistic or language based degrees. You could teach at university level, teaching on undergraduate modules or supervising doctoral students. You could carry out your own academic research and aim for publication in prestigious journals.

As a freelance lexicographer, you could work on building up your experience to work towards high paying clients. You could also build up your portfolio of work and study to focus on projects within a field you are passionate about, such as law.

References

• ^[1]How to become a Lexicographer — Reed.co.uk Retrieved 6 October 2022.
• ^[2]Average Editor Salary in United Kingdom — Payscale.com Retrieved 6 October 2022.
• ^[3]Senior Editor Salaries in United Kingdom — Glassdoor.co.uk Retrieved 6 October 2022.