How We Verify Quotes
Most quotes on the internet are misattributed. Here is how FixQuotes traces attributions back to original and authoritative sources — and tells you honestly when a source cannot be confirmed.
The problem with quotes online
Famous lines get copied from site to site, and along the way they are attached to whoever sounds most quotable — not necessarily whoever actually said them. A single quote can appear thousands of times under the wrong name. We believe a quote collection is only as trustworthy as the sources behind it, so wherever we can, every quote is tied to where it genuinely comes from.
Our source authority ladder
Not all “sources” are equal. We rank evidence by how close it is to the original:
| Tier | What it is | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | The original work in the author's own words. | The book, essay, letter, interview, or recorded speech where the line first appears. |
| Secondary | A reputable record documenting the quote and its origin. | An authoritative biography, an academic reference, a major archive. |
| Compilation | A modern quote collection. Useful, but not proof of who said it. | A “100 Great Quotes by…” book, or another quotes website. |
A compilation on its own is never enough for us to mark a quote as verified — we look for the primary or secondary source behind it.
Where we look
For each quote we search trusted libraries and archives for the original wording, including:
- Internet Archive and Project Gutenberg — full-text books and historical works.
- Google Books — published editions and scans.
- Wikiquote — sourced and disputed-quote records.
- Specialist sources for songs, scripts, and other published works where relevant.
We compare the exact wording — allowing for minor punctuation or translation differences — so a close match to a real passage counts, while a loose paraphrase does not.
What the labels mean
On a quote's details you may see one of the following:
- Verified Found in a primary or secondary source that matches closely.
- Later attribution / Unverified The line is real, but we could only trace it to compilations or later mentions — the original source is not confirmed.
- Disputed / Misattributed The evidence suggests the attribution is wrong, or the quote is apocryphal.
We would rather tell you “we are not sure” than pretend. When a reliable source is missing, we say so instead of inventing one.
Help us improve
If you know the real source of a quote — or you spot an error — please tell us. On any quote page you can use the “Help us find the source” link, or contact us. Reader corrections make the whole collection more trustworthy for everyone.
In short
- We trace quotes to original sources, not other quote sites.
- Primary › secondary › compilation.
- We label what is verified, uncertain, or disputed.
- We show the source on every quote we can.