The kinetics of the acetolysis and accompanying anomerization of methyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-alpha- and -beta-D-mannopyranosides at different concentrations of sulfuric acid in acetic anhydride-acetic acid mixtures were studied. The progress of the reactions was followed by gas chromatography, and the rate constants of the partial reactions were calculated on the basis of the time-dependent product