PURPOSE: To obtain a lowly odorous polyphenylene ether resin by removing odorous impurities being by-products accumulated in the polymerization solvent in the production of a polyphenylene ether by distilling the solvent and recirculating the purified solvent into the polymerization system.

CONSTITUTION: In a continuous method for producing a polyphenylene ether resin, which comprises oxidatively coupling phenol in the presence of a catalyst in a solvent containing a normally liquid aromatic hydrocarbon in a polymerization zone till the formation of a polyphenylene ether resin and by-products are substantially completed, recovering the resin by adding a 1-6C alcohol to the polymer solution and recovering and recirculating the aromatic hydrocarbon containing the by-products, the aromatic hydrocarbon and the by-products are separated from each other by distillation to lower the content of the by-products, and the aromatic hydrocarbon substantially free from the by-products is recirculated into the polymerization zone.