author
Thomas A. (Thomas Albert) Knott
1880–1945
Best known for work on English language study and pronunciation, this American scholar wrote practical guides for students and helped shape a landmark dictionary of American speech. His books range from composition and correct usage to Old and Middle English.
1 Audiobook
Writing and rewriting
by George Carver, Thomas A. (Thomas Albert) Knott, William S. (William Shipman) Maulsby
About the author
Born in 1880 and active as a scholar of English, Thomas Albert Knott is remembered chiefly for his work in language study, lexicography, and teaching. Reference sources identify him as a lexicographer, and library records show a body of work that spans composition manuals, usage guides, and editions of older English texts.
His published books include Writing and Rewriting and other practical works on clear, correct English, along with more specialized scholarship such as The Elements of Old English. He also co-edited Piers the Plowman and, with John Samuel Kenyon, produced A Pronouncing Dictionary of American English in 1944, a book that became widely known in the study of American pronunciation.
Knott also served as general editor of Webster’s dictionaries from 1926 to 1935, which helps explain the blend of classroom clarity and dictionary precision in his writing. He died in 1945, leaving behind work that still speaks to readers interested in how English is written, taught, and pronounced.