Aside from The Mavens' Word of the Day , there are a great many other on-line resources of interest to English language buffs. Here are a few of our favorites, in alphabetical order; many of these have additional links to more language sites.

• English Usage
  The exceptionally useful Webs site of the Internet newsgroup alt.usage.english, covering everything from the etymology of common phrases to advice on reference works to the use of ASCII to represent International Phonetic Alphabet symbols. Perhaps the best single document on the Net devoted to English. The site has Mark Israel's FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) and some other, more recent FAQ documents.

• American Dialect Society
  The American Dialect Society is the premier scholarly organization for the study of the English language in North America. Their Web site provides background about the ADS, an index to its journal, American Speech, information about and archives of ADS-L, the Society's very active electronic mailing list, and more.

• American Name Society
  A brief description of the American Name Society, devoted to the study of names--both personal and geographical--and naming practices in the U.S. and abroad.

• Copy Editor
  The Web site for Copy Editor, an outstanding newsletter for publishing professionals. Especially good in its coverage of cutting-edge language issues.

• Dictionary of American Regional English
  The Dictionary of American Regional English, or DARE, is an ongoing project (three volumes, covering the letters A through O, have been published) to catalogue the regional variations in American English. The DARE site provides a general introduction to this most important dictionary project.

• The Eclectic Company
  An array of links to sites, resources, and articles on many aspects of English (and other languages) by University of Michigan linguist John Lawler. Includes Lawler's own excellent articles on usage, and the great ChomskyBot, which randomly generates surprisingly believable linguistics articles.

• Grammar and Style Notes
  A large collection of essays by Jack Lynch, a graduate student in English, covering grammar, usage, and style. Concise and sensible.

• The Jargon File
  An extremely comprehensive guide to the language of the on-line world. Has existed in various forms for many years, and has been published in print as (most recently) The New Hacker's Dictionary. Detailed, accurate definitions, masses of historical information, zesty writing. Indispensable.

• Oxford English Dictionary
  Though still under development and not fully accessible to the public, the Oxford English Dictionary's site has much fascinating material about the greatest historical dictionary ever produced.

• World Wide Words
  A collection of short essays by Michael Quinion on a wide variety of topics. Sections on new words, newsworthy words, old obscure words, and usage notes. Consistently interesting and reliable.

• Verbatim Magazine
  Verbatim has long been the premier popular magazine devoted to the English language. Recently relaunched under the editorship of the brilliant young lexicographer Erin McKean, it is filled with fascinating and clear articles about all aspects of English.

More Language Links

• A.Word.A.Day
  A new word defined each day and usually selected around a weekly theme.

• American Crossword Puzzle Tournament
  Information about the nation's oldest and largest crossword competition. The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament is an annual event directed by New York Times Crossword Puzzle Editor Will Shortz.