A benzyldimethylsilyl (BnDMS) group was found to effectively enhance the reactivity of vinylsilanes toward the acid-catalyzed intramolecular addition of a hydroxy group in comparison with a dimethylphenylsilyl group. The BnDMS group of the resultant cyclized products could be easily converted to a hydroxy group by the action of TBAF-H2O2-KHCO3. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.