AbstractNucleophilic ring opening of three‐membered rings is discussed in terms of leaving group basicity. Reactions of activated (weakly basic leaving groups) 2,2‐dimethylaziridines 5 and 2‐phenylaziridines 6 with alcohols ROH are studied with reference to the site selectivity of ring opening and competing side‐reactions. Abnormal opening (at the substituted carbon) of 5 proceeds in neutral ROH without catalyst when the activation is strong (tosyl) whilst no reaction or mainly carbonyl attack is observed with weak activation (CONHAr). NaClO4catalyzes the abnormal opening of 5. EtO−gives exclusively normal opening of 5 whilst, in contrast to the literature, MeO−gives also a substantial amount of abnormal ether. Attack on 6 always occurs at both positions with the predominance of the abnormal reaction being greater for MeO−than for EtO−. These reactions are considered SN2 with steric and benzylic differentiation between normal and abnormal attack depending on the size of ROH. Acid catalyzed openings of 5 and 6 proceed exclusively abnormally in the ether‐forming reaction as well as in side‐reactions. Competition experiments and increase of the side‐reactions with the size of ROH demonstrate a deceleration of the ether‐forming reaction with the size of ROH. Obviously, the side‐reactions originate from a carbenium ion whilst the ethers are mainly formed by a borderline mechanism. R(‐)6b and acidic MeOH give only 8% racemization in the abnormal ether. An order of activation is proposed for activated aziridines under acid ca