For the diffraction of electromagnetic waves from a standing sound wave, the amplitudes of the first diffraction order are calculated from Born's approximation. If the wavelength of the electromagnetic signal is made comparable to the acoustic wavelength, the first diffraction order vanishes periodically with increasing width of the sound beam because of a destructive interference of scattered waves. The sound‐perturbed medium becomes also slightly anisotropic. The diffraction of microwaves by a standing sound wave in oil is measured as a function of sound frequency and polarization of the electromagnetic wave.