Dilute aqueous phosphoric acid solutions have been studied by Raman spectroscopy at room temperature and over a broad temperature range from 5 to 301°C. R-normalized spectra (Bose-Einstein correction) have been constructed and used for quantitative analysis. The vibrational modes of H 3 PO 4 (aq) (pseudo C 3v symmetry) have been assigned. The band with the highest intensity, the symmetric stretch ν s {P(OH) 3 }(ν 1 (a 1 )) is strongly polarized while ν 4 (e), the antisymmetric stretch ν as P(OH) 3 ) is depolarized. The stretching mode of the phosphoryl group (-P=O), ν 2 (a 1 ) occurs at 1178 cm −1 and is polarized. In the range between 300 and 600 cm −1 , the deformation modes are observed. The deformation mode, δ{PO-H}, involving the O-H group has been detected at 1250 cm −1 as a very weak and broad mode.In addition to the modes of phosphoric acid, modes of the dissociation product H 2 PO − 4 (aq) have been observed. The mode at 1077 cm −1 has been assigned to ν s {PO 2 }, and the mode at 877 cm −1 to ν s {P(OH) 2 } which is overlapped by ν s {P(OH) 3 } of H 3 PO 4 (aq). The modes of H 2 PO − 4 (aq) have been measured in dilute solution and were assigned and presented as well. H 3 PO 4 is hydrated in aqueous solution, which can be verified with Raman spectroscopy by following the modes ν 2 (a 1 ) and ν 1 (a 1 ) as a function of temperature. These modes show a strong temperature dependency. The mode ν 1 (a 1 ) broadens and shifts to lower wavenumbers. The mode ν 2 (a 1 ) on the other hand, shifts to higher wavenumbers and broadens considerably with increases in temperature. At 301°C the phosphoric acid is almost molecular in nature. In very dilute H 3 PO 4 solutions at room temperature, however, the dissociation product, H 2 PO − 4 (aq) is the dominant species. In these dilute H 3 PO 4 (aq) solutions no spectroscopic features could be detected for a hydrogen bonded dimeric species of the formula H 5 P 2 O − 8 (or the neutral dimeric acid H 6 P 2 O 8 ). Pyrophosphate formation, although favored at high temperatures, could not be detected in dilute solution even at 301°C due to the high water activity. In highly concentrated solutions, however, pyrophosphate formation is observable and in hydrate melts the formation of pyrophosphate is already noticeable at room temperature.