Three sets of substituted molybdenum carbonyl complexes of the type Mo(CO)~,(PY,), (n = 1-3) with a wide range of phosphorus ligands (Y = Ar, R, OR, NR,, C1, H) were synthesized and their respective 9 s~o NMR spectral data were collected, The steric effect of PY, plays an unexpectedly important role in the paramagnetic shielding term determining E(~'Mo), and is even observed in the least crowded M(CO),(PY,) complexes. It is deduced that the steric requirement reduces the commonly accepted a-ability of phosphites by weakening the M-P bonds, making 6 ( 9 5~~) positions move toward higher frequency in going from M(CO),(PY,) to fac-M(CO),(PY,),. A detailed correlation analysis in the case of phosphite ligands has shown that the free cone space to accommodate a PY, ligand may be as low as 95" in Mo(CO)~,(PY,), (n = 1-3) derivatives. The fair linearity of these correlations suggests indirectly that the a-component in phosphite bonding is relatively less important. These linear correlations of 6 ( 9 5~0 ) against the Tolman cone angle 9 provide an empirical estimation of the bulkiness of any phosphite ligand.