W
- Wackernagel, Jacob (Switzerland, 1853–1938), Indo-European studies, Sanskrit
- Wang Li (PR China, 1900–1986), Chinese language
- Watanabe Shōichi (Japan, 1930–), Japanese language
- Watkins, Calvert (United States), comparative linguistics, Indo-European languages
- Weeks, Raymond (United States, 1863–1954), phonetics, French language
- Weinreich, Max (Latvia/United States, 1893–1969), Yiddish language
- Weinreich, Uriel (Poland/United States, 1926–1967), sociolinguistics, dialectology, semantics, Yiddish language
- Wells, John Christopher (UK, 1939–), phonetics, Esperanto,
- Westermann, Diedrich Hermann (Germany, 1875–1956), languages of Africa, typology
- Westphal, Ernst Oswald Johannes (South Africa/UK, 1919–1990), Bantu languages, Khoisan languages
- Whalen, Douglas H. (United States), phonology, endangered languages
- Wheeler, Benjamin Ide (United States, 1954–1927), historical linguistics, comparative linguistics, Greek language
- White, Lydia (United Kingdom/Canada), second language acquisition
- Whitney, William Dwight (United States, 1827–1894), lexicography, Sanskrit, English language
- Whorf, Benjamin Lee (United States, 1897–1941), Native American languages, Maya script, Linguistic relativity
- Wichmann, Søren (Denmark, 1964–), Mesoamerican languages, Mixe–Zoque languages, Mayan languages, Maya script
- Widdowson, Henry G. (UK), English language, discourse analysis
- Wierzbicka, Anna (Poland/Australia, 1938–), semantics, pragmatics
- Williams, Nicholas Jonathan Anselm (UK/Ireland, 1942–), Cornish language, Irish language, Manx language, phonology,
- Williams, Samuel Wells (United States/China, 1812–1884), Chinese language, lexicography
- Wilson, Robert Dick (United States, 1856–1930), comparative linguistics, Hebrew language, Syriac language
- Wittmann, Henri (France/Canada, 1937–), French language, creole languages, morphology, comparative linguistics
- Wolvengrey, Arok (Canada), Cree language, syntax, Native American languages, lexicography
- Wurm, Stephen Adolphe (Hungary/Australia, 1922–2001), Australian Aboriginal languages, Papuan languages
Read more about this topic: List Of Linguists