Fun with Words

Word Etymologies, Origins, Histories, Fun Facts, and Play

An Electronic Textbook of Word Sites & Educational Resources

Created by Tricia Geiling for EDU 553 Wintersession 2001



A word a day . . .

Go to  The Learning Kingdom Word of the Day  for the site's Cool Word of the Day.  Plus, click on the random "Surprise Me" button to see past Cool Word of the Day selections.  You never know what's going to come up, but you're sure to learn something new!

Vocabulary Word A Day  keeps the teacher away.  Or, at least it keeps her happy.  And, the words you'll find at this americanliterature.com site will keep you interested as you learn about new and challenging words.

The Merriam-Webster's Word of the day  provides you with a word, an example sentence, and some interesting  "Did you know?"  tidbits about the word. While you're there, you might want to try the link leading to the "Word Game of the Day."  Another nifty link on the site leads you to a "Word for the Wise" -- a daily public radio program all about words.  If the computer you're using has speakers and RealPlayer, you can sit back, listen up, and learn!

The Oxford English Dictionary is often considered the leading reference for the English language.  And, the Oxford English Dictionary Word of the Day offers a comprehensive analysis of the daily word's etymology, pronunciation, spelling, and more.  Read a variety of literary quotes that demonstrate the word's meaning from its first known usages in the English language to the present.

The Mavens' Word of the Day  provides an entertaining and often humorous discussion about the word under consideration.  Less like a dictionary entry and more like a lively narrative, the definitions on this site often contain links to sites containing additional interesting information about the particular word.

Dictionary.com's Word of the Day is defined and then demonstrated in various quotes.  Interested in one of the quotes?  Often the referenced sources contain clickable links that lead to further information on obtaining the materials or accessing them online.

For extra word-a-day fun, go to Travlang's Word of the Day and hear the featured word voiced in your choice of over 70 languages.  From Afrikaans to Zulu, learn how the word of the day sounds around the world!

Look it up online . . .

A great site to look up words online plus do a whole lot more is yourDictionary.com.  The site contains links to word games, language dictionaries, a word-a-day definition, and a variety of other language resources.  This is definitely one to bookmark.

The Wordsmyth, an educational dictionary and thesaurus, is another online resource that allows you to look up words, learn about grammer, find synonyms, and more.  For teachers, students, and anyone interested in writing and language, this site is a useful resource.

Merriam-Webster's OnLine Thesaurus may be just the source when you want to find new words to add variety to your writing.  Also, access the M-W dictionary when you want to explore word definitions and usages.

Research-It! Reference Desk  is a virtual langauge tool that offers a medley of possibilities.  Visitors can look up definitions, rhymes, pronunciations, translations, and acronyms--to name just a few of the possibilities.  Visit the site and see for yourself.

The ROGET'S Thesaurus search form allows you to search either full text or headwords when performing a query.  By doing full text searches, you might find interesting cross references that branch out to new ideas and knowledge.  Give it a try and see what you learn.

Fun word facts, more tools, & trivia . . .

The Wacky World of Words is an ideal site for teachers, students, and word lovers of all ages.  You'll find language tools, games, mystery words, lesson plan ideas, plus tons more at this superb wordplay page.

What's in a name?   You can find out all about your name at  Behind the Name - the Etymology and History of First Names  page.   This site allows you to look up names and learn about their origins.  Try finding your name--and a friend's for some extra fun!

For palindromes, great Scrabble words, and simply interesting tidbits, the Collection of Word Oddities and Trivia  page is the place to go.  With over twenty links to choose from, something you learn at this site is sure to surprise you.

Exploring the English language is fun and games at the World Wide Words Home Page.  Find out the origin of familiar phrases, browse through Weird Words, or read articles on the English language from a British viewpoint.  If you like what you find, join the mailing list!

For a look at some curious word origins from A to Z,  Etymologically Speaking  is the site to visit.   Learn how English words have roots in French, German, and other languages.  For fun and wisdom, this is the site to visit.

Check out  Focusing on Words  for a variety of links and resources aimed at enhancing your English-vocabulary skills.  Subscribe to the site's newsletter to stay up-to-date on word-y matters.

Ever wonder about phrases like "Knock on wood" or "The life of Riley"?  Visit  The Origin of Phrases  homepage to find out about these phrases and others.  View the Hot Origin of the Week to learn about when and how the phrase came about--you may be surprised.

Has a grammer-checker program ever accused you of using passive voice?   You might want to incorporate some Action Verbs  into your writing.  The verbs listed on this sight are for the purpose of writing good resumes, but good writing of any sort includes action, take-charge-type verbs!

For Ye Olde English Sayings, a Worthless Word For The Day, Word Jumbles, Word Morphs, and a whole lot more, visit the Word Play page.  A vast collection of fun, interesting, and useful word links awaits the word lover in you.

Word art . . .

Think of an adjective -- a word that modifies a noun -- and then creatively demonstrate the word so that it illustrates itself.   For example,

       and

What might you make of words like Puffy, Wee, Tall, and Chilly?  Let your imagination soar and have fun!

A poem about words . . .

Have you ever noticed how complicated and challenging the English language can sometimes be?   The author of the poem  The Chaos (English is Tough Stuff)  certainly has.  For an enjoyable challenge, print this poem out and try reading it out loud with some friends.  You're sure to have some fun while you work on articulating this masterpiece!

Language and educational resources for teachers . . .

For downloadable and free Language Arts lesson plans, units, worksheets, teaching ideas, and more,  Learningpage.com  is a super resource for parents and teachers.  Especially useful for Elementary educators, the site is your online source for everything educational.

The Teacher Information Network  offers links to educational organizations, teacher resources, reviewed teacher sites, schools on the Internet, plus a whole lot more.  Visit the site's "Bonus Pack" for links to online resources for kids, teen, parents, friends, and colleagues.

Aimed at improving writing and learning in the nation's schools, the National Writing Project  is an interactive site for an online community of teachers.  Rich in resources and ideas, this is one to add to your electronic bookmarks.

The LessonPlansPage.com  site contains links to lesson plans for Language Arts, Computers and Technology, Social Studies, Art, and other subjects.  This superb site for educators provides a newsletter for all those interested in learning and educating.

A virtual toolbox for teachers, Edhelper.com  was created by teachers for teachers.  The site is comprised of lesson plans, educational links, up-to-date education news, and interactive discussion forums.  Try the Vocabulary Worksheets link for some great Language Arts ideas.

Teach2000.com is a page rich in links for teachers.  Learn about teachers and technology, media literacy, distance learning, and more.  Link to educational journals and lesson plans in a variety of subjects and content areas.

A national network of school websites, Americatakingaction.com is maintained by a group of parents, teachers, and business and community leaders across the nation.  The site is designed with the education of children at its center, and the resources found here are for everyone interested in children and the future of education.

For kids, parents, teachers, and everyone, the American Library Association homepage is a great literary and language resource.  Find out about literary events and conferences, education news, and award-winning publications for the classroom.  Also, link to American libraries on line to meet a variety of educational needs.

A California-based project, the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning  is composed of education professionals, scholars, and public policy experts who care about improving education for today's students.  The site contains many useful links to online resources for educators and up-to-date news publications.

 The National Research Center on English Learning & Achievement is funded by the US Department of Education and focuses their research on ways to improve students' English and literacy achievement in schools across America.  K-12 teachers may find the site of special interest, as the Center is offering Internet grants for teachers who propose Internet projects in their classrooms.

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is an organization devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education.  Visit their site to find out about upcoming conferences, teaching ideas, and education and technology news.

Another great organization devoted to improving literacy and teaching is the International Reading Association.  Their site contains literacy links, bulletin boards, choice booklists, and a menagerie of other resources for educators.

Need some good book ideas for the classroom?   Do you want to find out what's new in award-winning books?  Go to The Children's Literature Web Guide and explore the loads of resources and ideas-- for teachers, parents, storyteller, writers, readers, and learners!

The National Education Association (NEA) is a site for anyone interested in teaching and learning.  For the latest in educational news, links for teachers, tips on school safety, and more, the NEA homepage is a super starting point.

The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development is an international, nonprofit association of professional educators commited to excellence in education.  Visit their site to find out about training opportunities, news and issues, and educational journals--for a start.

 Reading Online is an electronic journal of K-12 practice and research.  It's published by the International Reading Association and is rich in thought-provoking articles and teaching ideas.

Dedicated to education and the teaching of writing, the Teachers & Writers Collaborative  links teachers and writers in an effort to explore connections between reading and writing.  Visit their site to find out about membership, upcoming events, other hot educational links, and publications.  You're sure to find something of interest here.

The Language Arts Resources page is a place for teachers to find information on authors and illustrators, literature-based projects and lessons, booklists, and literature online.  These are just a few of the resources available at this excellent site for educators.

The objective of this page is to  and expand your knowledge.