In this paper, a novel miniature spectrometer is described which employs an integrated‐optic acousto‐optic tunable filter (IAOTF) as the monochromatic wavelength selective element. The performance of the system is highlighted by measuring the absorption spectra of two samples in the region of 1400 to 1600 nm. In the experiment, a light emitting diode (LED) centered at a wavelength of 1530 nm, is used as the light source and spectral filtering is achieved using an IAOTF that is tunable over more than 260 nm. The device exhibits a FWHM resolution of 1.2 nm, measures 25×3×1 mm3, weighs under 1 g and requires less than 70 mW of rf drive power. This miniature spectrometer offers several attractive design features that have utilities in a variety of applications, particularly for portable analysis and operation in harsh environments. ©1994 American Institute of Physics.