Oxford Word and Language Service (OWLS)

Your questions about the English language answered by the Oxford Dictionary's editorial team

The Oxford Word and Language Service is a specialist English Language service provided by the Oxford English Dictionary department. We research usage and history of English words from the Middle Ages to the present day, and can answer a range of questions on this subject.

But

• If you need specialist advice on teaching or learning English as a Foreign Language, you should refer to the Oxford University Press English Language Teaching website.
• Those with a query relating to legal proceedings or the legal interpretation of words should consult a legal expert. Some of the links on the Oxford University Press Law website might be helpful.
• Questions about foreign words not used in English cannot be answered by the OWLS team. Branches of OUP around the world might be able to help with general foreign language enquiries. Visit the sites listed at www.oup.com.
• If you have a query about personal names or trademarks then you should visit a good reference library, although OUP does publish a range of dictionaries of names (see our section on names) which could be useful. For trademarks, the patentlink site seems useful as it has a list of trademark and patent offices from around the world.

AskOxford has plenty to help you:

• Find correct spellings of unfamiliar words
• Solve a long-standing argument about usage
• Satisfy your curiosity about the origin or meaning of an obscure word

If you still have a question

If you still have a burning English language query then it is easy to ask the Oxford experts. If the query is a common one, or is particularly interesting, then we may add it to the FAQ in future.

Write to:

Oxford Word and Language Service
Oxford English Dictionary Department
Oxford University Press
Great Clarendon Street
Oxford OX2 6DP
UK