Wordslut Review: How Language Has Been Weaponized Against Women (And How We’re Taking It Back)

Read time: 4 minutes

🎧 Listened in audio
📢 Narrated by Amanda Montell
⏱ Duration: 7 hours
Genre: Non-Fiction
🏷️ Publisher: Harper Collins
📅 Published: May 28, 2019

Book Blurb:

Words like “bitch,” “slut,” and “hussy” didn’t always carry the meanings we assign them today. In Wordslut, Amanda Montell explores how language has historically evolved to diminish women, tracing the origins of gendered insults and biased speech patterns. Blending humor with sharp linguistic analysis, she examines how societal norms shape language—and how language, in turn, reinforces inequality. From filler words like “like” to the policing of women’s voices, Montell breaks down the hidden biases embedded in everyday speech. The book also highlights how marginalized communities reclaim language, transforming slurs into symbols of power and identity.

Let’s talk about the book:

After reading The Age of Magical Overthinking, I’ve returned to Amanda Montell’s work with Wordslut. This time, she turns her sharp, analytical eye toward the evolution of language, specifically how words have been twisted over centuries to degrade women and reinforce patriarchal structures. Montell doesn’t just tell you that language is sexist. She walks you through centuries of receipts. From the way “hysteria” literally comes from the Greek word for uterus (because of course it does) to how words like “hussy” went from harmless housewife descriptor to full-blown insults, she traces how the patriarchy has weaponized vocabulary.

She doesn’t just stop at women though. She also tackles how LGBTQ+ communities and people of colour have had their language appropriated, diluted, and stripped of meaning by white, mainstream culture. It’s not just about reclaiming “slut” or “bitch”, it’s also about understanding why these words were taken from us in the first place and what it means when we steal from others.

Montell approaches linguistics like a friend who’s done all the research and can’t wait to spill the tea. That aspect makes the book really interesting to consume. Sure, some sections get a little academic (there’s only so much sexy you can put into phonetics), but she always brings it back to the real-world implications. By the end, I found myself hyper-aware of the language I use, and way more forgiving of women who say “like” every other word. We’ve earned our filler words, dammit!

Would I recommend it?

If you’ve ever felt defensive of how you speak, been told you sound “unprofessional” for using vocal fry, or wondered why certain insults only seem to land on women, read this book. If you love books that make you rethink everyday things (like… literally everyday words), this is a solid pick. It’s enlightening, funny, and a kind of read that’ll linger long after you’ve finished reading. Montell makes you think differently about every conversation you have going forward. Absolutely worth your time.

Recommendations

• The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson — A lighter, fascinating look at the history of English.
  Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
• Cultish by Amanda Montell — If you liked this, her cult-language deep dive is a must.
  Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
• Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall — Expands on overlooked voices in feminist conversations.
  Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
• Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch — Explores how digital language shapes identity and culture.
  Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo — For understanding how language intersects with race and power.
  Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy

So… What’s in a Word?

Have you ever caught yourself rethinking a word after learning its origin or do you think language evolving naturally makes all this less important? Let’s talk 

Book Links

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