Deuterium isotope effects on the 31P shielding constants and spin–spin coupling constants in the isoelectronic series, PH2−, PH3, PH4+, are examined. Also, deuterium isotope effects on the nuclear magnetic resonance parameters of SnH3− are examined and compared with our earlier results on SnH4 and SnH3+. The experimental results are analyzed using the models of Jameson and Osten. In each isoelectronic series it is found that the isotope effects on the heavy atom chemical shifts are largest for the negatively charged ions and essentially zero for the positively charged ions, as predicted by recent molecular orbital calculations. The primary isotope effects on J(A,H) are positive for all species containing lone-pair electrons, otherwise Δp1J(A,H) is negative. The primary and secondary isotope effects on J(Sn,H) in the SnH3− ion are the largest reported to date.