What Is a Lectern? Meaning, Types, and How to Pick One

You've stood behind one at a wedding, a graduation, or a work presentation. You may have called it a podium. (Most people do, and that's fine.) But the word for it is "lectern," and once you know what it means, it's hard to forget.

Lectern definition

A lectern is a reading stand with a slanted top. A speaker stands behind it and rests their notes, a book, or a tablet on top while they talk.

Where the word comes from

"Lectern" comes from the Latin verb legere, to read, by way of the Medieval Latin lectrinum. It's the same root as "lecture" and "lector." So a lectern is, quite literally, a reading stand.

You'll also see it spelled "lecturn" all over the place, and honestly, that's understandable, since it sounds like it should end in "turn." If that's what you typed into the search bar, you're in the right place. The dictionary spelling is lectern, with "lect" like "lecture."

Lectern, podium, or pulpit?

Strictly speaking, a podium is the raised platform you stand on, a lectern is the stand you stand behind, and a pulpit is the enclosed stand a sermon is preached from. In everyday American English, though, "podium" and "lectern" mean the same thing, and nobody will correct you. Our podium vs. lectern vs. pulpit post goes into the details.

A bit of history

Lecterns started in churches, as stands for the large, heavy Bibles and service books read aloud during worship. Some of the most famous are the brass eagle lecterns found in many Anglican and Episcopal churches, where the Bible rests on the outspread wings of an eagle, often said to stand for the Word being carried out into the world.

From the church, the lectern moved into universities (it's where the word "lecture" comes from too), then courtrooms, council chambers, and eventually every hotel ballroom in the country.

The parts of a lectern

• The reading surface: the slanted top, angled so the speaker can glance down at their notes.
• The book stop: a lip along the bottom edge that keeps papers and books from sliding off.
• The shelf: inside or under the top, for a water glass, extra notes, or a Bible.
• The body: a pedestal, panels, columns, or a full cabinet.
• The base: sometimes with casters, so it can roll from room to room.

Most floor lecterns put the reading surface somewhere around 44 to 48 inches high, a comfortable height for most standing speakers.

The main types of lecterns

Here are the main kinds, with a link to our guide for each:

• Floor lecterns: the full-height stand most people picture. See our best wooden podiums.
• Tabletop lecterns: a small slanted stand that sits on a table. See our tabletop lectern guide.
• Portable and folding lecterns: light enough to carry, and some fold flat. See our portable podium guide.
• Lecterns with built-in sound: amplifier, speakers, and microphones inside. See our sound lectern guide.
• Multimedia lecterns: room for a computer, monitor, and AV gear. See our best multimedia lecterns.
• Height-adjustable lecterns: for rooms where speakers of every height share one stand. See our best adjustable podiums.
• Clear acrylic lecterns: for a light, modern look. See our acrylic lectern guide.

How to pick one

Four questions will narrow it down fast:

• Where will it live? A sanctuary, a classroom, and a hotel ballroom need very different things.
• Does it move? If it travels between rooms, look for casters or a light frame.
• Does the room have sound? If not, a lectern with a built-in sound system solves two problems at once.
• What else does it hold? A laptop, a projector, or a computer tower points you toward a multimedia lectern.

Still not sure? Our best podiums under $1,000 list is a great place to start for most rooms.

A few lecterns to start with

1. 222 Full Floor Lectern: the everyday classic

A full-height floor lectern in tough mahogany laminate, with a slanted top, a book stop, a roomy shelf, and a standard 46.5 inch speaking height. It's the one we'd put in a conference room or classroom and forget about. Ships in 1 to 3 business days. From $325.

Shop the 222

2. T-35 Oak Lectern: oak on a budget

A simple pedestal on a solid oak cross-shaped base, with a 20 by 16 inch reading top in red oak veneer over MDF. Light enough to carry between rooms, in three stain colors. Ships in about 2 weeks. From $325.

Shop the T-35

3. Vail Clear Acrylic Lectern: the modern look

A tapered body in clear, non-yellowing acrylic, with a built-in shelf. It looks great in a sanctuary, a school, or an event space, and it doesn't hide the speaker. Ships in 1 to 3 business days. From $755.

Shop the Vail

4. The Counselor: the heirloom

Our best-selling hardwood lectern: solid oak, cherry, mahogany, or walnut, with a work surface that drops from angled to flat and hidden magnets for a swappable logo plaque. Made in the USA, with a lifetime limited warranty. Made to order in 6 to 8 weeks. From $2,850.

Shop the Counselor