Journal profile · Multiple
Functions of Language
ISSN 0929-998X · eISSN 1569-9765 · John Benjamins Publishing Company
Functions of Language: CAS Zone 3 · Literature (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 0.73; hybrid open access; APC charged, amount not published; 20 articles in 2025; indexed in SSCI, AHCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Functions of Language is published by John Benjamins Publishing Company and is in Zone 3 of Literature in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation, Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies and Language, Metaphor, and Cognition, together about 43.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Language and Linguistics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Functions of Language is an international journal of linguistics which explores the functionalist perspective on the organisation and use of natural language. It publishes articles and reviews books across the full spectrum of functionalist linguistics, also embracing cognitivist and interactionist methodologies. It encourages the interplay of theory and description, and provides space for the detailed analysis, qualitative or quantitative, of linguistic data from a broad range of languages. Within its functionalist brief, the journal’s scope is broad, covering such matters as prosodic phenomena in phonology, the clause in its communicative context, and regularities of conversation and discourse, as well as the interaction between the various levels of analysis. The overall purpose is to contribute to our understanding of how the use of languages in speech and writing has impacted, and continues to impact, the structure of linguistic data.Functions of Language publishes its articles Online First.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Multiple
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic VariationArts and Humanities15.4%
- Language, Discourse, Communication StrategiesArts and Humanities15.3%
- Language, Metaphor, and CognitionPsychology12.7%
- Discourse Analysis in Language StudiesArts and Humanities9.8%
- Linguistic Variation and MorphologySocial Sciences7.1%
- Natural Language Processing TechniquesComputer Science5.9%
- linguistics and terminology studiesArts and Humanities3.7%
- Linguistics and Discourse AnalysisArts and Humanities3.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Literature Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Language & Linguistics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Literature Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Language & Linguistics | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Literature Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Literature | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Language & Linguistics | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Linguistics | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SSCIAHCIScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
ERIH PLUSPublisher website
Other: Dimensions, CNKI
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 0.73LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 0.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 1.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 1.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.31LetPub ·
- SJR (publisher)
- 0.31Publisher website ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.82LetPub ·
- SNIP (publisher)
- 0.82Publisher website ·
- h-index
- 49OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 147OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.75OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 22.86%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 13LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 719 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 18 | 9 | 5 |
| 2025 | 20 | 7 | 4 |
| 2024 | 25 | 8 | 38 |
| 2023 | 22 | 7 | 35 |
| 2022 | 22 | 3 | 42 |
| 2021 | 11 | 3 | 34 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher website | EUR 1,800 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access
- Open access Open Access
We offer a Read & Publish deal for libraries who are interested in combining subscriptions with Open Access for their authors.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- John Benjamins Publishing Company
- ISSN
- 0929-998X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1569-9765
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Functions of Language
What CAS zone is Functions of Language in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Functions of Language is in Zone 3 of Literature, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Language & Linguistics / Linguistics. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Literature. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Functions of Language?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 0.73; CiteScore 1.2, h-index 49.
Which databases index Functions of Language?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Functions of Language is indexed in SSCI, AHCI and Scopus. The journal's website also lists ERIH PLUS; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Functions of Language open access, and what is the APC?
Functions of Language is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC charged, amount not published.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .