Si 2 N 2 O/BN composites were successfully fabricated. With increasing BN content, the elastic modulus and hardness almost linearly decrease while the flexural strength does not exhibit a dramatic degradation. This is attributed to the fact that the homogeneously dispersed nanosized BN particles inhibit the grain growth of Si 2 N 2 O. The critical thermal-shock resistance temperature of the Si 2 N 2 O/30 vol% BN composite is enhanced by 4001C than monolithic Si 2 N 2 O. The introduction of BN significantly improves the dielectric properties and machinability. The Si 2 N 2 O/BN composites show a combination of high strength, low dielectric constant, good thermal shock resistance, and machinability, indicating that they are promising structural/functional materials.