Abstract The rates of the B ECKMANN-C HAPMAN rearrangement of the ketoximpicryl- ethers 1a–1k in 1, 4-dichlorobutane are correlated with parameters describing the bulk of the substituted groups R and R′. From regression analyses it is concluded that the relative rate constants are mainly controlled by steric contributions in the ground state, such as geminal interactions of R with R′ and vicinal interactions of R′ with O [BOND] X, and ...