This study was carried out to investigate the effect of surfactant on the dissolution of relatively hydrophilic drugs, such as sulfanilamide (SF) and sulfacetamide (SFA) granules prepared by wet granulation. The additive incorporated in the granules is starch or microcrystalline cellulose(MCC) as an excipient, PVP as a binder, and polysorbate 80 (P-80) as a surfactant. The dissolution characteristics of SF and SFA granules in distilled water were as follows: The values of T$_{75%}$ were 4.60 and 2.50min, respectively for SF and SFA granules. Incorporation of 0.1% P-80 in SF granule ratarded the dissolution of SF as compared with control, but addition of 0.1% P-80 to SFA granule improved the dissolution of SFA in comparison with control. In SF and SFA granules formulated with either starch or PVP, the release of the drug was increased as compared with control. In SF granule, the dissolution of the drug was further reduced by the inclusion of P-80 in the granule containing starch or PVP. Incorporation of P-80 in SFA granule with starch or PVP affected little on the dissolution of the drug. Addition of a nonswelling excipient, MCC decreased the dissolution rate of SF and SFA granules. as compared with each control. The presence of P-80 in these granules made the dissolution rate slower in comparison with the granules containing only MCC.