This invention relates to substituted diphenyl ethers having selective herbicidal properties and having the formula: STR1 wherein R is a saturated or unsaturated, straight chain or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon radical of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms wherein one or more of the --CH2 -- groups can be replaced with --O--, --S--, --S--S--, --SO--, --SO2 -- or --NR2 -- and said hydrocarbon radical is optionally substituted with halogen, trihalomethyl, cyano, aryl, hydroxy, alkoxy, nitro or cycloalkyl having 3 to 6 carbon atoms; R1 is STR2 R3 is STR3 R2 is hydrogen or a saturated or unsaturated straight or branched chain aliphatic radical having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, optionally substituted with halogen, hydroxy, alkoxy, cyano or nitro; R4 and R5 are independently a saturated or unsaturated, straight or branched chain aliphatic radical having 1 to 8 carbon atoms optionally substituted with halogen, trihalomethyl, alkoxy or cyano; hydrogen or phenyl optionally substituted with halogen, alkyl, alkoxy, trihalomethyl, nitro or cyano; R6 is a saturated or unsaturated straight chain or branched aliphatic radical containing from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, optionally substituted with halogen, trihalomethyl, cyano, hydroxy, nitro, acetoxy, alkoxy, thioalkoxy or aryl; an aryl radical optionally substituted with halogen, trihalomethyl, hydroxy, cyano, nitro, alkyl or alkoxy; a cyclic 3-6 membered ring alkylene or 5-6 membered ring alkenylene or benzyl optionally substituted with halogen, trihalomethyl, alkyl, hydroxy, alkoxy or cyano; R7 is an alkylene diradical having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms; X and X' are each independently --O--, --S-- or --NR2 -- L, M and N are each independently hydrogen, hydroxy, halogen, trihalomethyl, nitro, cyano, alkyl or alkoxy having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and STR4 m has a value of from 1 to 6 and n in each instance has a value of from 0 to 1.