Benjamin Dreyer

Benjamin Dreyer (born May 11, 1958) is an American writer and copy editor. He was copy chief at Random House until he retired in 2023. He is the author of Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style. The Washington Post called Dreyer "the unofficial language guru on Twitter".

Early life Dreyer was born May 11, 1958 in a Jewish family. He grew up in Queens, New York and Albertson, Long Island. He attended Northwestern University.

Career Early in his career, Dreyer pursued writing and acting. and served as vice-president, executive managing editor and copy chief, at the Random House division of Penguin Random House. The memo expanded to about 20 pages, and eventually Dreyer became interested in developing it into a book. That book, Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style, was published by Random House in January 2019. It debuted at #9 on The New York Times bestseller list for "Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous" and received enthusiastic reviews.

In The New Yorker, Katy Waldman wrote that "Dreyer beckons readers by showing that his rules make prose pleasurable... The author’s delight in his tool kit is palpable." Writing in Paste magazine, Frannie Jackson recommended the book as "invaluable to everyone who wants to shore up their writing skills and an utter treat for anyone who simply revels in language." The Wall Street Journal's reviewer, Ben Yagoda, saw "wisdom and good sense on nearly every page",

The Washington Post calls Dreyer "the unofficial language guru on Twitter". Dreyer maintains an active presence on social media, where he frequently comments on grammar, usage, and literary culture.

Personal life Dreyer lives in Santa Monica, California.