Lectern vs Pulpit: What’s the Difference?

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Lectern vs pulpit is a common mix-up because both are speaking stands you find at the front of a church or hall. The key difference is the job each one does. A lectern holds your text, while a pulpit is the place from which a sermon is preached. Once you picture what the speaker is doing, the right word is easy to choose.

What does “lectern” mean?

A lectern is a stand that supports a book or script for someone who is reading or speaking while standing. It is best known as the stand from which scripture is read in a church service. The word comes from the Latin legere, meaning to read, which tells you its purpose: it is a stand for reading from.

• The speaker rested her notes on the lectern.
• A deacon read the lesson from the lectern.

Lecterns are not only religious. Teachers, politicians and conference speakers use them to hold notes, a laptop or a microphone.

What does “pulpit” mean?

A pulpit is a raised platform or high reading desk from which a member of the clergy preaches or leads a worship service. Its height is part of the idea, since the preacher stands above the congregation. The word entered English in the 14th century and goes back to the Latin pulpitum, meaning a stage or platform.

• The minister delivered his sermon from the pulpit.
• She was invited to fill the pulpit for the summer.

Pulpit also has figurative uses. It can mean the profession of preaching, or a position as a preacher, as in “He left the pulpit after thirty years.”

Lectern vs pulpit: what is the key difference?

A lectern is a stand for holding text, while a pulpit is a raised place for preaching. One is defined by what it holds, and the other by what the speaker does there. A pulpit is also nearly always elevated and fixed in place, whereas a lectern can be a small, portable stand.

Many churches have both. In a typical layout, scripture readings are given from the lectern and the sermon is preached from the pulpit, although practice varies between traditions.

Is a lectern the same as a podium?

In everyday use, many people treat lectern and podium as the same thing, and dictionaries list lectern as a sense of podium. Traditionally, though, a podium is a raised platform you stand on, such as a conductor’s podium, and a lectern is the stand in front of you that holds your notes. So a purist would say you stand on a podium and speak at a lectern.

Pulpit is different from both, because it is tied to preaching and religion.

How do you use lectern and pulpit in a sentence?

Use lectern when the sentence is about holding or reading a text, and use pulpit when it is about preaching or the preacher’s place. The nouns usually follow a preposition such as at, behind or from. People stand behind or at a lectern, but they speak from or in a pulpit.

• The professor placed her lecture notes on the lectern.
• The vicar climbed the steps into the pulpit.
• She spoke at the lectern for twenty minutes.

Because pulpit also has a figurative sense, you will see it in writing about influence, as in a leader using the pulpit of their office to spread a message. Lectern has no such extra sense, so it almost always refers to the physical stand.

Why are pulpits raised and lecterns not?

A pulpit is raised so the preacher can be seen and heard by the whole congregation, which is part of its definition as a raised platform. A lectern only needs to hold the text at a comfortable reading height, so it can be a simple stand on the floor. That difference in height and size is one of the quickest visual clues for telling them apart.

If you are looking at a photo and can see steps or a high enclosed platform, you are almost certainly looking at a pulpit.

Can a pulpit and lectern be in the same room?

Yes, and in many churches they sit on opposite sides of the front area. The pulpit is often larger and more elaborate, and the lectern is simpler and holds the reading book. Seeing both together is the easiest way to remember that they do different jobs.

How can you remember which one to use?

Think of what the speaker is doing: reading from notes points to lectern, and preaching a sermon points to pulpit. The memory tricks below make it automatic.

What are the most common mistakes?

• The preacher stood behind the lectern to deliver his sermon. → The preacher stood in the pulpit to deliver his sermon.
• She set her notes on the pulpit. → She set her notes on the lectern.
• The conductor climbed onto the lectern. → The conductor climbed onto the podium.
• The lecturn held the Bible. → The lectern held the Bible.
• He gave the keynote from the pullpit. → He gave the keynote from the pulpit.

Memory tricks

• Lectern = read. Lectern links to the Latin legere, to read, so it is the reading stand.
• Pulpit = preach. Pulpit and preacher both start with P, so a pulpit belongs to the person preaching.
• Up or out? A pulpit is usually raised up high, while a lectern is just a stand you speak from.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a lectern and a pulpit?

A lectern is a stand that holds a book or notes, while a pulpit is a raised platform from which a clergy member preaches.

Is a lectern the same as a podium?

Often in everyday speech, and dictionaries list lectern as a sense of podium. Traditionally, a podium is a platform you stand on and a lectern is the stand that holds your notes.

Do churches use a lectern or a pulpit?

Many use both. The lectern is typically used for readings and the pulpit for the sermon, though practice varies between traditions.

Where does the word lectern come from?

It comes from the Latin legere, meaning to read, and entered English in the 14th century.

Can pulpit mean something other than a stand?

Yes. It can also mean the profession of preaching, or a position as a preacher.

Conclusion

Lectern vs pulpit comes down to purpose. A lectern holds the text for a standing speaker, and a pulpit is the raised place from which a sermon is preached. Picture what the speaker is doing and the right word will follow.

Share this with someone who mixes up lectern and pulpit.