<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2005-02-04</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000107140</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>WILEY JOHN &amp; SONS INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>JWA</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001061203</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>PRIME 66 PARTNERS</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>201 MAIN STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 3200</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FORT WORTH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>76102</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </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>201 MAIN STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 3200</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FORT WORTH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>76102</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </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>201 MAIN STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 3200</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FORT WORTH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>76102</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </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>201 MAIN STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 3200</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FORT WORTH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>76102</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </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>201 MAIN STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 3200</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FORT WORTH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>76102</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </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>201 MAIN STREET</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 2500</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FORT WORTH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>76102</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </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>45 WESTOVER ROAD</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>FORT WORTH</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>76107</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-02-04</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>131100</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>32.45</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>595175</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">SRB Diversified Realty, Inc. (&quot;SRB Diversified&quot;) is the managing general partner 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.  In addition,  Annie R. Bass Trust for Sid R. Bass (&quot;ARBT&quot;) and the Bass Management Trust (&quot;BMT&quot;) are also general partners of Prime.  William P. Hallman, Jr. (&quot;WPH&quot;) is the Trustee of ARBT.  Each of SRB Diversified, ARBT, BMT, SRB and WPH may be 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>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>W.R. Cotham, Vice President of SRB Diversified Realty, Inc., managing general partner of Prime 66 Partners</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-02-08</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>W.R. Cotham, Vice President of SRB Diversified Realty, Inc.</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-02-08</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>William P. Hallman, Jr., Trustee of Annie R. Bass Trust for Sid R. Bass</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-02-08</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 Bass Management Trust</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-02-08</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>2005-02-08</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
