The International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) is an annual international competition that brings together secondary school students and experts from various fields of linguistics. Since its inception in 2003, the IOL has been hosted in a different country each year, traditionally between late July and mid-August. The competition challenges participants to analyze the grammar, structure, culture, and history of different languages and to demonstrate their linguistic abilities through puzzles and problem-solving challenges.
The IOL encourages creativity and imagination and helps participants develop skills in language analysis and problem-solving. By promoting awareness and understanding of diverse cultures and histories, the competition plays a vital role in nurturing future linguistics experts and contributing to the development of this academic field. No prior knowledge of linguistics or languages is required, as even the most challenging problems only require logical ability, patient work, and a willingness to think outside the box.
Why not give some of our past problems a try and see if you have what it takes to compete in the world’s toughest puzzles in language and linguistics?
Bucharest 2026
The Twenty-third IOL, hosted by Romania, has successfully concluded on August 2nd, 2026. A total of 255 contestants of 65 teams representing 46 countries and territories competed in IOL 2026. You can find more information here.
Hosted an IOL (19)Competed in 2026 (26)Competed previously (11)
To find out who organizes your National Olympiad, click here.
Bangkok 2027
Bangkok, Thailand has been selected to host the 24th International Linguistics Olympiad from July 21st to July 28th, 2027. You can find more information here.
