Abstract Twelve para-substituted α-methylstyrenes with substituents H, CH 3, CF 3, CH 3 O, CH 3 S, F, Cl, Br, CH 3 CO, CH 3 SO 2, CN a NO 2 were synthesised; additionally, the acid catalysed hydration kinetics of these compounds were measured in sulfuric acid in a concentration range c from 0.017 to 9.58 mol l-1, at 25.0 C. The observed rate constants obtained were used to construct the kinetic acidity function and calculate the catalytic rate ...