The hydrogen-oxygen reaction was investigated using OH absorption and emission measurements of induction times over the temperature range of 1400- 2500K. The dependence of induction time on composition was studied to measure the relative influence of hydrogen and oxygen concentrations in determining the induction times. Comparison of experimental measurements with computed values obtained from an analytic solution to the rate equations, which is presented in detail, showed that the results could be understood in terms of rate-coefficient parameters which are in agreement with previous studies. The effect of slow vibrational relaxation of O2 was investigated under conditions where the vibrational relaxation times were comparable to the induction times. The results indicated that in normal studies of hydrogenoxygen ignition kinetics no effect of slow vibrational relaxation will be observed.