Kinetic studies of the oxidation of d-mannose, d-glucose, d-fructose, l-arabinose and d-ribose by bromamine-T (sodium N-bromo-p-toluenesulphonamide or BAT) and bromamine-B (sodium N-bromobenzenesulphonamide or BAB) in alkaline medium were investigated at 30°C. The rate of the reaction was first order both with respect to the oxidant and the sugar and second order with respect to [HO−]. The addition of the reaction product, p-toluenesulphonamide (PTS) or benzenesulphonamide (BSA), and the variation of ionic strength of the medium have no effect on the rate. The rate decreases with decrease in dielectric constant of the medium and values of dAB, the size of activated complex, were calculated. Proton inventory studies were made in H2O–D2O mixtures. The activation parameters of the reaction were computed from Arrhenius plots. HPLC and GLC-MS analysis of the products indicated that the sugars were oxidized to a mixture of aldonic acids consisting of arabinonic, ribonic, erythronic and glyceric acids. A general mechanism consistent with the observed results has been proposed.