Dedicated to Professor Rolf Huisgen on the occasion of his 85th birthdayThe basicity of a series of 3,5-disubstituted 1,2,4-oxadiazoles in aqueous H 2 SO 4 was examined by means of UV and 1 H-NMR spectroscopy. The experimental data were analyzed by the modified Yates ± McClelland method to yield the following pK BH values: 3,5-dimethyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole, À 1.66 AE 0.06; 3-methyl-5-phenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole, À 2.61 AE 0.02; 3-phenyl-5-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole, À 2.95 AE 0.01; 3,5-diphenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole, À 3.55 AE 0.06. A pK BH value of ca. À 3.7 was estimated for the parent unsubstituted 1,2,4-oxadiazole based on substituents× additivity increments. Possible protonation sites of the compounds were discussed in terms of both experimental data and theoretical calculations (HF/6-31G**). Generally, protonation is most likely to occur at N(4) of the 1,2,4-oxadiazole ring. However, concurrent formation of both N(4)-and N(2)-protonated species in comparable amounts is possible in the case of 3-phenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazoles.