Abstract The thiono-thiolo rearrangement reaction of phosphylthionates 1 catalyzed by protic acids proceeds with the formation of two types of intermediate alkoxyphosphonium salts 2 and 3. The first of these is formed by the protonation of the substrate 1 at the sulfur atom. Formation of 2 is evident from the changes in chemical shifts in 31P NMR spectroscopy of phosphylthionates upon their interaction with trifluoroacetic acid and also from the ...