Curzan received a bachelor of arts in linguistics summa cum laude from Yale University in 1991. She received a master of arts and a doctor of philosophy in English language and literature from the University of Michigan in 1995 and 1998, respectively.^[1]

Curzan is a member of the American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel and the American Dialect Society, which votes on the Word of the Year. She co-hosts the weekly Michigan Public radio segment That's What They Say with Rebecca Kruth^[2] and has written for the Chronicle of Higher Education's Lingua Franca blog.^[3]

In 2019, she was appointed dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.^[4]

Curzan has authored several books on the English language.^[5][6] Her most recent, Says Who?, was published in March 2024.^[6][7]

Curzan has received awards for her work, including the Henry Russel Award,^[8] the Faculty Recognition Award,^[9] and the John Dewey Award.^[10]

• ISBN 978-0205032280 How English works: A linguistic introduction
• ISBN 978-0472067329 First day to final grade: A graduate student's guide to teaching, with Lisa Damour
• ISBN 978-0521820073 Gender shifts in the history of English
• ISBN 978-1598038934 The secret life of words: English words and their origins
• ISBN 978-1107020757 Fixing English: Prescriptivism and language history
• ISBN 978-0593444092 Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words