Linguistic rule refers to any covert or overt constraint on a speaker's language use. In linguistics, a linguistic rule is a regularity or habit of usage that occurs in a given language. Linguistic rules are often identified through corpus analysis, which is the study of how language is used in a given context.

There are numerous linguistic rules that affect language use. Some of the most common rules include the use of articles, adjectives, adverbs, and verbs; the use of masculine and feminine nouns; and the use of formal and informal language.