The determination of manganese in iron and steels by u.h.f. plasma torch spectrometry is described. The intensity of the Mn II 257.16-nm ion line decreased with increasing concentration of iron, whereas the intensity of the Mn I 403.07-nm atom line increased; only the Mn I 279.48-nm atom line showed constant intensity as the concentration of iron increased. This behavior can be explained in terms of plasma temperature. The effects of acids were examined; the influence of small amounts of diverse elements was depressed by a large amount of iron. A simple and rapid method for the determination of manganese in iron and steels was established, the relative standard deviation being 2.6 % for 0.10 % Mn.