A general analytical model, which is applied to pre‐estimate the air‐gap magnetic field of interior permanent magnet synchronous motors (IPMSM) under the no‐load and load conditions, is proposed in this study. First, the analytical formulas of both the slotless permanent magnetic field and the armature reaction magnetic field are derived, respectively, by virtue of solving the Laplace field equation in polar coordinates. Then, the complex relative permeance is employed to account for the slotting effect. Subsequently, the proposed analytical model, which can reflect the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of the air‐gap magnetic field, has been applied in a 4‐pole‐24‐slot IPMSM as an example. Finally, the analytical air‐gap magnetic field with the spatial order and frequency characteristics is validated by the finite‐element result. Additionally, the consistency between the analytical and finite‐element results further indicates that the proposed analytical model is effective.