Kinetic studies on nucleophilic substitution reaction of phenacyl bromide and phenacyl chloride with pyridines were conducted at 25℃ and 35℃ in methanol-acetonitrile solvents mixtures. It was shown that the reaction proceeds via an SN2 reaction mechanism based on the transition state parameters, ΔH≠ and ΔS≠ and Bro nsted β values. Quantum mechanical model predicted a product-like transition state, where bond-formation is much more progressed than bond breaking, upon changing the leaving group to that with a better leaving ability.