<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Inositol phosphates (IP) are a major pool of identifiable organic phosphorus (P) in soil. However, insight on their distribution and cycling in soil remains limited, particularly of lower-order IP (IP<sub>5</sub> and IP<sub>4</sub>). This is because their quantification typically requires a series of chemical extractions, including hypobromite oxidation to isolate IP, followed by chromatographic separation. Here, for the first time, we identify the chemical nature of organic P in four soil extracts following hypobromite oxidation using solution <sup>31</sup>P NMR spectroscopy and transverse relaxation (T<Sub>2</sub>) experiments. Soil samples analysed include the A horizon of a Ferralsol from Colombia, of a Cambisol from Switzerland, of a Gleysol from Switzerland and of a Cambisol from Germany. Solution <sup>31</sup>P NMR spectra of the phosphomonoester region on soil extracts following hypobromite oxidation revealed an increase in the number of sharp signals (up to 70), and an on average 2-fold decrease in the concentration of the broad signal compared to the untreated soil extracts. We identified the presence of four stereoisomers of IP<sub>6</sub>, four stereoisomers of IP<sub>5</sub>, and <i>scyllo</i>-IP<sub>4</sub> (using solution <sup>31</sup>P NMR spectroscopy). We also identified for the first time two isomers of <i>myo</i>-IP<sub>5</sub> in soil extracts: <i>myo</i>-(1,2,4,5,6)-IP<sub>5</sub> and <i>myo</i>-(1,3,4,5,6)-IP<sub>5</sub>. Concentrations of total IP ranged from 1.4 to 159.3&#8201;mg&#8201;P/kg<sub>soil</sub> across all soils, of which between 9&#8201;% and 50&#8201;% were comprised of lower-order IP. Furthermore, we found that the T<sub>2</sub> times, which are considered to be inversely related to the tumbling of a molecule in solution and hence its molecular size, were significantly shorter for the underlying broad signal compared to the sharp signals (IP<sub>6</sub>) in soil extracts following hypobromite oxidation. In summary, we demonstrate the presence of a plethora of organic P compounds in soil extracts, largely attributed to IP of various order, and provide new insight on the chemical stability of complex forms of organic P associated with soil organic matter.</p>