So You Want to Invent a Word for Your Book
When I entered the Editorial Freelancers Association’s Coin-a-Word contest, I used it as an outlet for some funny ideas. To my surprise (and delight), I won the grand prize! And while coining a word for a contest is fun, coining a word for a book? That’s much trickier, and the stakes feel higher.
My word, freeglancing, was the winner of the EFA’s 2024 Coin-a-Word contest!
It’s a portmanteau of freelancing and glancing.
I often work with writers who have created entire worlds from scratch. That world might need new foods, plants, technologies, and magical systems. And sometimes, despite all the hidden gems in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a brand new word is necessary.
So whether you're writing sci-fi, fantasy, horror, or romantasy, here’s my advice for inventing words that add to your story without distracting readers:
1) Don’t Overdo It
First things first, remember less is more. Just because you can invent fifty words doesn’t mean you should. Too many invented terms will overwhelm readers, distracting them from your story. Use them strategically to enhance worldbuilding—not as a replacement for good storytelling. The advice to “kill your darlings” is about to become even more painful as you have to cut invented words that just aren’t necessary.
2) Make It Memorable
Your reader’s mind is your playground. Aim for invented words that feel familiar enough to stick in someone’s memory after only one or two mentions. It’s a good idea to make sure your words are fairly easy to pronounce (think this through if you’re considering producing an audiobook). If you have beta readers, remember to ask them for feedback on your invented words.
Keep in mind that languages are constantly changing, and they usually tend toward simplification, not complication. As speakers adapt their language to be more efficient or intuitive, the result is often a system that's easier to learn and use, especially in spoken form. Irregularities tend to be leveled out, cumbersome constructions are streamlined, and frequently used words and phrases are shortened. When coining new terms, it's helpful to consider this natural drift: Neologisms that are short, easy to pronounce, and logically patterned are more likely to catch on and stand the test of time.
3) Remember Languages Are Systems
All of your invented terms (and names!) should look like they come from the same system, the same culture. If you're naming a group of related things (cities in the same country, ranks in a military order, magical species), create a loose naming convention. Think about how languages cluster consonants and vowels differently. How languages utilize suffixes and prefixes to carry meaning. How phonology and morphology give each language a unique sound.
For example:
Use similar suffixes like -ireon, -ileon, and -ivuon.
Identify shared roots like Pala’for, Pala’tun, and Pala’shif.
Decide how nouns would be turned into verbs and so on.
But watch for confusion. If your terms are too similar, your reader will get lost.
4) Play with Language Like a Wordsmith
Here are some quick techniques that consistently work:
Portmanteau: Combine two known words into one and your world will soon have something as magical as brunch.
Backronym: Start with a cool-sounding word and decide what each letter "stands for."
Affixes: Add real prefixes or suffixes to made-up roots, or vice versa.
Rearrange: Take a real word (or a few) and jumble the letters around. Who else loved playing those word jumbles in the newspaper?
Borrow from other languages: Languages have been borrowing words from each other since humans began speaking. Borrowing from Latin adds an air of formality, and Greek can bring a mythical feel. Be mindful of your unconscious assumptions or bias when you choose languages. When languages borrow from each other, they usually make some significant changes to the pronunciation or spelling so that it fits in—so don’t just copy paste from a foreign dictionary (that would also really confuse a reader who speaks that other language fluently).
5) Make It a Game
If you’ve really hit a roadblock, sit down and freewrite pure nonsense words for a few minutes. Let your fingers do the thinking. See what surfaces. You’d be surprised how many gems begin as gibberish. Or you can try writing letters on pieces of paper and throwing them up in the air.
When all else fails? Place your cat on your keyboard and see what they invent.
Made-up words can subtly inform readers about a world’s culture, power structures, values, or history. But like any tool, they work best when wielded with care and intention.
If you’re working on a story that needs a little linguistic flair—or if you’ve invented an entire glossary and need help making sure it’s reader-friendly—I’m here to help.
After all, I don't just love words. I coin them, edit them, and help bring them to life on the page.
