Jesse Peterson.
How to Create a Language: the conlang guide.
CUP. 2026
Designed specifically for class use, this text
guides students through developing their
own full, working constructed language.
In 17 chapters, the author introduces basic
concepts and the decisions students need
to make about their conlang’s speakers
and world, before walking them through the
process of conlanging in incremental stages –
from selecting a language’s sounds to decisions about its grammar.
Key Features
• includes complete demonstrations showing
precisely how to create each element of
a language.
• Contains hundreds of examples from both natural and constructed languages.
• Provides over 70 end-of-chapter exercises for both testing understanding
and helping students make decisions regarding their own conlang.
• Includes defined linguistics terms in every chapter, bolded key words,
and a glossary, assuming no prior linguistics knowledge.
• Incorporates material for more advanced students through
clearly highlighted sections and optional conlang challenges.
This is the ideal text for anyone wanting to start out in conlanging.