An inexpensive single mirror reflectometer for specular reflectivity studies at nearly normal incidence is described. This design minimizes errors in the reflectivity which may occur as a result of spatial variations in both the detector sensitivity and the mirror reflectivity. The reflectometer has been successfully used for reflectivity measurements from 2 to 22 eV in a detector‐sample chamber which is coupled to a McPherson vacuum ultraviolet monochromator.