Contrary to popular opinion, they are not the same. A podium is the raised platform on which the speaker stands to deliver his or her speech. “Podium” is derived from the Greek word pothi which means “foot.” A lectern is a raised, slanted stand on which a speaker can place his or her notes. “Lectern” is derived from the Latin word lectus, the past participle of the verb legere, which means “to read.”
—Nook Schoenfeld
