An atlas of the high‐temperature (1200 K) absorption spectrum of water vapor in the 3000 to 4000 cm−1region is presented. The infrared spectrum was recorded at Doppler‐limited resolution using a tunable difference‐frequency laser spectrometer. The spectral region scanned encompasses the strong OH stretching fundamentals, &ngr;1and &ngr;3, and the bending overtone, 2&ngr;2, as well as associated hot bands. Almost all the lines have been assigned using a model Hamiltonian which yields very satisfactory agreement between calculated and observed line positions forJup to 27 orKaup to 14. The calculated eigenvectors applied to the transition moment operator predict the measured line intensities quite closely. This work should serve as a reference for analyzing spectra from high‐temperature sources such as combustion exhausts and cool stars.