ABSTRACTThe role of the present article is to study the propagation of horizontally polarized shear waves in vertically heterogeneous viscoelastic double layers lying over a homogeneous half-space under initial stress. Both linear and exponential variations have been considered in the inhomogeneity associated to rigidity, internal friction, and density of the media. The dispersion equation of shear waves has been obtained in closed form. The dimensionless phase and damping velocities have been plotted against dimensionless wave number for different values of inhomogeneity parameters separately. Also, surface plots of phase velocity against dimensionless wave number and inhomogeneity parameters have been given.