The temperature dependence of the fundamental OH stretching bands of monomeric ethylene glycol and 2-methoxyethanol has been investigated in dilute CCl 4 solution. For the latter the enthalpy difference between the slightly populated trans conformer and the more stable intramolecularly hydrogen bonded gauche conformer is 1.8 ± 0.23 kcal/mole. The presence of trans ethylene glycol molecules has not been demonstrated due to the overlapping of the “free” OH absorption with the “terminal” OH absorption of the intramolecularly hydrogen bonded monomer at 3644 cm −1. Spectra at low temperature show that the “bonded” OH absorption is a composite of two bands, suggesting two types of bonded OH groups. At −15°C absorption at 3604 cm −1 is ascribed to a conformer with a normal intramolecular OH⋯O hydrogen bond, whereas a more stable conformation with two angular concerted hydrogen bonds (cyclic) is considered for the absorption at 3614 cm −1 which is blended with the normal OH⋯O band at higher temperatures.