Using a small amount of additives and amorphous Si₂N₂O powders, O-SiAlON ceramics have been hot-pressed and its microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. Scandium oxide was demonstrated to be an effective densification additive for O-SiAlON. Amorphous Si₂N₂O was densified at relatively low temperatures and a microstructure with acicular grains was developed. Fine grains found in materials obtained from amorphous powders suggest that nucleation and crystallization of O-SiAlOH is relatively easy compared with the Si₃N₄-SiO₂reaction.