We investigated the changes induced in the viscosities of CaO-SiO2-Al2O3-K2O melts (CaO/SiO2 molar ratio = 0.68 ± 0.04, Al2O3 content = 13.4 ± 0.6 mol%) with the addition of K2O in amounts of 0-17.4 mol% for temperatures of 1 673-1 873 K using the rotating crucible method. The viscosity increased with an increase in the K2O content when K2O/Al2O3 molar ratio < 0.7. On the other hand, the viscosity decreased with the addition of K2O for K2O/Al2O3 molar ratio > 0.9. The maximum values of the viscosities were noticed in the range of 0.7 < K2O/Al2O3 molar ratio < 0.9. This behavior could not be explained on the basis of the polymerization degree of the aluminosilicate network structure. The 17 O magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) spectrum of the 31.6CaO-44.2SiO2-13.4Al2O3-10.8K2O (mol%) glass suggested that K + ions preferentially compensate the negative charge of AlO4, while the Ca 2+ ions primarily create non-bridging oxygens (NBOs). The viscosity data and the 17 O MAS NMR spectrum also suggested that the increase in viscosity for K2O/Al2O3 molar ratio < 0.7 was because of the increase in the average bond strength of the aluminosilicate framework, which was attributable to the substitution of Ca 2+ ions by K + ions at the charge compensator sites. The activation energies for viscous flow indicated that the NBOs bonded with K + ions, forming NBO-K species, for K2O contents greater than those corresponding to the viscosity maxima. Thus, the viscosities of aluminosilicate melts are indicative of the average bond strengths of the melts.KEY WORDS: viscosity; K-Ca aluminosilicate melts and glasses;17 O MAS NMR spectroscopy.