<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>3</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-07-18</periodOfReport>
    <noSecuritiesOwned>0</noSecuritiesOwned>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000107140</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>WILEY JOHN &amp; SONS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>JWa</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001061203</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>PRIME 66 PARTNERS L P</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001256397</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SRB DIVERSIFIED REALTY INC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001256398</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BASS ANNIE R TRUST FOR SID R BASS</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0000900165</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BASS MANAGEMENT TRUST</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001242829</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BASS SID R</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0000860871</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>HALLMAN WILLIAM P JR</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001255497</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BASS NANCY L</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>0</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Class A Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>726275</value></transactionShares></transactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value><footnoteId id="F1"/><footnoteId id="F2"/></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><footnotes><footnote id="F1">The Reporting Persons directly and indirectly beneficially own less than 10% of the outstanding Class A Common Stock of the Issuer, but, pursuant to Rule 16a-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the &quot;Act&quot;), each may be deemed to be a more than 10% beneficial owner of such Stock because each may be deemed to be a member of a &quot;group&quot; that owns in excess of 10% of such outstanding Stock pursuant to Section 13(d)(3) under the Act.  Pursuant to Rule 16a-1(a)(4) under the Act, this filing shall not be deemed an admission that any Reporting Person is, for purposes of Section 16 of the Act or otherwise, the beneficial owner of any equity securities of the Issuer owned by any other person.  </footnote><footnote id="F2">SRB Diversified Realty, Inc. (&quot;SRB Diversified&quot;), Annie R. Bass Trust for Sid R. Bass (&quot;ARBT&quot;) and The Bass Management Trust (&quot;BMT&quot;) are general partners of Prime 66 Partners (&quot;Prime&quot;), the direct beneficial owner of the securities reported herein.  Sid R. Bass (&quot;SRB&quot;) is the President and sole Director of SRB Diversified.  William P. Hallman, Jr. (&quot;WPH&quot;) is the Trustee of ARBT.  Pursuant to Rule 16a-1(a)(2)(ii)(B) under the Act, each of SRB Diversified, ARBT, BMT, SRB and WPH is deemed to be the beneficial owner of the securities beneficially owned by Prime only to the extent of the greater of his or its respective direct or indirect interest, if any, in the profits or capital account of Prime.  Nancy L. Bass (&quot;NLB&quot;) and Perry R. Bass (&quot;PRB&quot;) are settlors of BMT.  Because of their respective power to revoke BMT, each of NLB and PRB may, pursuant to Rule 16a-8(a)(2), be deemed to be the beneficial owner of securities beneficially owned by BMT.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>W.R. Cotham, Vice President of SRB Diversified Realty, Inc., managing general partner of Prime 66 Partners</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-07-25</signatureDate></ownerSignature><ownerSignature><signatureName>W.R. Cotham, Vice President of SRB Diversified Realty, Inc.</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-07-25</signatureDate></ownerSignature><ownerSignature><signatureName>William P. Hallman, Jr., Trustee of Annie R. Bass Trust for Sid R. Bass</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-07-25</signatureDate></ownerSignature><ownerSignature><signatureName>William P. Hallman, Jr., as Attorney-in-Fact for each of Sid R. Bass, Lee M. Bass and Nancy L. Bass, each a Trustee of The Bass Management Trust</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-07-25</signatureDate></ownerSignature><ownerSignature><signatureName>William P. Hallman, Jr., individually and as Attorney-in-Fact for Sid R. Bass, Nancy L. Bass and Perry R. Bass</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-07-25</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

