Rate constants have been obtained for the acid-catalyzed N–H exchange of N-methyl, 2,N-dimethyl, and 2,4,6,N-tetramethylbenzamide and the acid-catalyzed isomerization of the three corresponding N,N-dimethylbenzamides. The ratio [Formula: see text] increases significantly with increased number of ortho methyl substituents. This is explained in terms of a suggestion of Perrin, that C—N bond rotation is not completely free in the N-protonated amide, since it must compete with a diffusion limited deprotonation reaction. The isomerization reaction, which requires such a rotation, is therefore slowed by ortho methyl substituents which hinder rotation, relative to the exchange reaction, which does not require rotation.