N-H and N-loweralkyl pyrrole-2-acetic acids are prepared by the reduction of 1-H and 1-loweralkyl-.alpha.-trichloromethylpyrrole-2-methanol with sodium dithionite (sodium hydrosulfite) in the presence of a base, MOH, wherein M is an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal or tetraalkyl ammonium.