Whether you’re writing a paragraph, letter, essay, or research paper, there are numerous free references and tools available online to help you or your children with the process. You’ll find free guides to help with grammar and style questions, online dictionaries and thesauruses, tools for checking grammar and spelling, help with citing sources, and more. Below are some of the most helpful free resources I’ve found for writing.

Free References and Tools for Writers

Purdue Online Writing Lab – Detailed guides for MLA, APA, and Chicago Styles as well as many other writing resources

Cite This for Me – This website automatically generates in-text citations and reference lists from source information the user inputs.

The Easy Essay – Answer the online prompts and the website will generate an essay outline.

Paradigm Online Writing Assistant – Detailed articles about all steps of the writing process

Guide to Grammar and Writing – Guides that explain grammar, as well as, paragraph, essay, and research paper writing

A+ Research & Writing – A detailed step by step guide to writing a research paper

Writing Explained – Hundreds of articles on grammar, style, and usage with examples and quizzes

English Grammar – Informative articles about various types of writing, style guides, grammar, and punctuation

The Elements of Style – A guide to the principals of composition and basic usage rules

Grammarly – The free version of this software corrects grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

Hemingway Editor – The free version highlights difficult to read sentences, phrases that could be simplified, instances of passive voice, and adverbs to help the user improve their writing.

Dictionary.com – Millions of English definitions, spellings, audio pronunciations, example sentences, and word origins

American Dictionary of the English Language – A searchable online version of Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary

Thesaurus.com – Over 550,000 synonyms and a suite of tools that simplify the writing process

Merriam Webster – Online dictionary and thesaurus

The Phrase Finder – The meanings and origins of thousands of idioms, expressions, and sayings

Free Writing Prompts – Prompts for all ages and various types of wiring

Free Composition Curriculum – Writing curriculum options for every grade

Note: This post was originally published on September 9, 2020 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.