In the present work we derive analytical relations for the effective elastooptic coefficients with accounting for the non-orthogonality of polarizations of the acoustic waves (AWs) in the crystals that belong to the symmetry groups 42m , 4/mmm, 422 and 4mm. We analyze anisotropies of acousto-optic (AO) figure of merit (AOFM) for KH 2 PO 4 and NH 4 H 2 PO 4 crystals within their crystallographic planes, which are derived under conditions when the AW non-orthogonality effect is neglected by or accounted for. We find that consideration of the angle of AW nonorthogonality changes significantly the AOFM values. AO diffraction geometries corresponding to maximums of AOFM are obtained for all of the nine types of AO interactions, including those concerned with the collinear diffraction. We demonstrate that the principal AOFM maximum for NH 4 H 2 PO 4 is equal to 10.0×10 -15 s 3 /kg. It can be achieved at the type II of AO interactions with the quasilongitudinal AW in the crystallographic plane ab. The highest AOFM value peculiar for the anisotropic AO diffraction in NH 4 H 2 PO 4 , 9.5×10 -15 s 3 /kg, can be reached at the type IX of AO interactions with a so-called AW QT 2 in the ac plane. Finally, the highest AOFM found for the case of collinear diffraction, 4.4×10 -15 s 3 /kg, is also inherent to the NH 4 H 2 PO 4 crystals. KH 2 PO 4 is characterized by somewhat lower AOFM values.