Frank H. Vizetelly

Born in England in 1864, Frank H. Vizetelly was educated in France and England before entering the publishing world through his family’s firm. After moving to New York in 1891, he built a long career in American reference publishing and became known as an English-American lexicographer, etymologist, and editor.

Vizetelly’s name is closely tied to Funk & Wagnalls, where he worked on the Standard Dictionary of the English Language and later continued as an editor of the company’s dictionaries and encyclopedia. From 1904 to 1937, he also wrote The Lexicographer’s Easy Chair for The Literary Digest, a popular column that answered questions about words and usage with clarity and good humor.

He wrote many practical books on English, including guides to errors, pronunciation, idioms, punctuation, and effective speech. That mix of scholarship and everyday usefulness made him a trusted guide for readers who wanted to write and speak more confidently.