Representative samples of a group of New Zealand podzolised soils were extracted withMKCl,MNH4OAc at pH 4.8, 0.5MCuCl2and 0.01MCaCl2, and Al, Fe and Si were determined in the extracts. Total Al in the CuCl2extracts was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry, but in the other extracts both monomeric and total Al were determined by the oxine colorimetric method. Largest amounts of Al (in excess of 40 meq/100 g) were extracted by NH4OAc at pH 4.8. These were the only extracts to show marked differences between monomeric and total Al. Extraction time influenced the amount of Al extracted by the NH4OAc and CuCl2reagents. Al extracted by KCl and CaCl2was significantly correlated, and so was Al extracted by NH4OAc and CuCl2. The results are discussed in relation to clay mineralogy and the possible contributions of soluble polymeric hydroxy‐Al complexes and organic Al complexes.