About us

The King's English Society
was founded in 1972 as the
Queen's English Society.

We are a charity established to promote the knowledge, maintenance, development, and appreciation of the English language. We welcome all people who share these aspirations.

The Society's Philosophy

The Society considers language to be an organic, living, breathing entity that develops and evolves over time among the people who use it. It cannot be mandated. Indeed, what makes the English language so rich, so widely used and therefore so accessible is its very plasticity and elasticity, its ability to be both succinct and elaborate, the character it takes in different regions of the United Kingdom and the world, as well as its roots in and borrowings from other languages.

While we recognise that the language will take its own path, we aim to encourage clarity of expression and communication; such clarity entails knowledge and understanding of accurate usage. We also promote the sheer joy of speaking, hearing, reading, and writing it, expressed in a clear, articulate, and eloquent manner.

English is facing many challenges

English is an unusual language given its global use and the need for clear communication between governments, universities, multinational enterprises and people at all levels. More people speak English as a second language than as a native tongue and that, together with its widespread use on social media, provides more scope for evolution and variation but also has the potential to impair clarity.

Stack of folders and documents beside an open laptop, with a blurred chart on the screen in the background.

What can be done?

With our members' support, the KES seeks to encourage clear and healthy use of English.

We take the opportunity to comment on the forms of English we find in print and broadcast media, foster interest in and enjoyment of English in daily social media posts, and promote high-quality writing through our competitions.

We aim to set a good example and raise issues in our quarterly journal Quest. Here on our website, we share examples of good practice and provide guidelines to assist in making workplace and other everyday documents clear and effective. You will also find on our website guides to some of the more challenging elements of grammar or language use and links to other resources.

We do not run schools or classes, but we occasionally give individual advice.

The Organisation

The KES is membership-based. Our members pay a modest annual subscription which contributes to the cost of printing and distributing Quest and to the general administration of our organisation including the upkeep of our website. We have a board of trustees, a president, chairman and vice chairman, a treasurer, Quest editor, membership secretary, and social media manager.

As a charity the KES is completely non-political but we can try to influence policy-makers so that people will learn to use English clearly and eloquently throughout their lives and, in particular, in their chosen careers.

View frequently asked questions

View the Society's Constitution