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'Podium' is the elevated platform where someone stands; 'lectern' is the slanted stand where a speaker rests notes.
Side-by-side comparison
"Podium" is the raised platform someone stands on to speak or conduct: a small stage. An orchestra conductor stands on a podium.
The conductor stepped onto the podium, raised his baton, and the orchestra fell silent.
All three medalists stood on the podium as their national anthem played.
Standing on the podium at the Olympics is the dream of every athlete who trains for the games.
"Lectern" is the angled stand or reading desk where a speaker rests their notes or speech. The politician leans over the lectern while speaking.
The professor arranged her notes on the lectern before the lecture began.
The presidential lectern, with its iconic seal and microphones, is one of the most recognizable objects in the world.
She gripped the sides of the lectern to steady herself as she began the most important speech of her career.
Common mistake
They get mixed up because in the news almost everyone says "podium" for both. If you want precision, "to speak from the podium" means standing on the platform, and "to speak at the lectern" means speaking behind the stand.
Trick to remember it
"Podium" comes from Greek "podos" (foot): it is where you put your feet. "Lectern" comes from Latin "legere" (to read): it holds your reading material. Foot = podium. Read = lectern.
Quick rule
- •"Podium" = elevated platform where the speaker or medalist stands.
- •"Lectern" = slanted stand where the speaker rests their notes.
Did you know?
The three-tiered Olympic podium (gold on top, silver to the right, bronze to the left) was officially introduced at the 1932 Los Angeles Games. Before that, medalists simply gathered on the track to receive their medals. The platform became the iconic image of the modern games. In Greek and Roman architecture, the PODIUM was the high platform on which temples were built, elevating them from the ground to give them monumental presence. The same Greek root "podo" gives "podiatry," "antipodean" (those on the other "foot" of the world), and "tripod."
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The speaker walked up to the _____ and placed her notes on top of it before beginning.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The winner of the gold medal stepped up onto the _____ to receive her prize.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
'Compose' = the parts make up the whole; 'comprise' = the whole consists of the parts.
"Masterful" = domineering, commanding, showing authority; "masterly" = showing the skill of a master, done with great expertise.
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
'Currently' means 'at the present time'; 'actually' means 'in reality', not 'nowadays'.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy