The proton affinities (PAs) and deprotonation enthalpies (DPEs) were calculated for the pyranoid forms of two naturally occurring sugars, D-fructose and L-sorbose. In both molecules the PAs of the primary hydroxyl group (HO-1), the anomeric hydroxyl group (HO-2), and the ring-oxygen atom (O-6) were calculated, as were the DPEs of HO-1 and HO-2. The stabilities of the conjugate acids and bases of these sugars are enhanced by the presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding, a feature that is significant in explaining the differences in sweetness and the rates of mutarotation of the title compounds, as well as the differences in the rates of acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of ketopyranosides. Key words: proton affinity, deprotonation enthalpy, ab initio calculations, AM1, hexuloses.