A capacitive‐driver–capacitive‐detector system for generation and detection of ultrasonic waves has been developed. This eliminates the necessity of bonding piezoelectric transducers to solid samples. With the capacitive‐driver–capacitive‐detector system, free–free boundary conditions exist at the sample surfaces and longitudinal ultrasonic‐wave velocities in solids can be measured accurately without correcting for ultrasonic‐wave phase shifts due to sample‐bonded transducer interfaces. The capacitive driver has a mica dielectric which increases the breakdown potential, but maintains the free–free boundary conditions at the solid specimen surfaces. This allows for a larger‐amplitude ultrasonic signal to be generated in the sample than is possible with an air‐gap capacitive driver. This improves the precision of the measurement. The accuracy of the method is comparable with that of bonded‐transducer methods, after bond corrections are made.