The kinetic studies on the reactions of ethyl methyl (2) and ethyl propyl (4) chlorothiophosphates with X-pyridines have been carried out in acetonitrile at $35.0^{circ}C$. The free energy correlations with X show biphasic concave upwards with a break point at X = H (2) and 3-Ph (4), respectively. A stepwise mechanism with a rate-limiting leaving group expulsion from the intermediate is proposed based on the magnitudes of selectivity parameters for both substrates. The considerably large values of ${eta}_X$ = 1.50(2) and 1.44(4) with strongly basic pyridines and relatively small values of ${eta}_X$ = 0.43(2) and 0.36(4) with weakly basic pyridines are interpreted as a change of the attacking direction of the X-pyridines from a frontside to a backside attack toward the chloride leaving group.