Natural soil cores were used in this study to obtain the pore size-distribution of the "terra-roxa-misturada", "terra-roxa-legítima" and "arenito Bauru". For textural comparison a sand core artificially packed was included in this group of soils. Data for pore space were obtained by water tensions of from 0-15, 15-30, 30-60 and 60-150 cm. The pore space at tension of 60 cm of water was used to define noncapitlary and capillary porosity. The tension-moisture curves of the "terra-roxa-misturada" and "terra-roxa-legíitima" indicated that in both soils the top soil hos a higher percentage of small pores than in the sub-soil. The capillary porosity is also higher in the top soil. In the "arenito Bauru" soil a large proportion of small pores is in the sub-soil. At 30 cm tension a high percentage of woter wos withdrawn from the top-soil. The results of the sand core point out that the sand has a high content of large pores as evidenced by the fact that 89.9 per cent of water was withdrawn at a tension of 30 cm of water, and 89 per cent of the pores have an equivalent diameter larger than 0.1 mm. At tension of 60 cm of water 92.6 per cent of water was removed from the sand core.