The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of surfactant type and concentration upon dissolution rates of carbamazepine from an immediate-release tablet. The dissolution media used in this study were aqueous solutions containing 0.1-2% sodium lauryl sulfate, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, or polysorbate 80. The solubility of carbamazepine in the dissolution media was determined at first. A dissolution study was then conducted by using the USP dissolution apparatus II (paddle method) with an agitation rate of 75 rpm. Aliquots of the dissolution media were taken at predetermined time intervals, and the amount of carbamazepine dissolved was measured spectrophotometrically at 285 nm. The dissolution data obtained were fitted into a biphasic exponential equation with four parameters. Excellent correlations were observed between the experimental data and the theoretical ones predicted by the equation. This equation permitted the calculation of $T_{50%}$ (the time required for dissolving 50% of carbamazepine) under various experimental conditions. Differentiation of the equation also led to the attainment of dissolution rates at dissolution time points. The addition of a surfactant to an aqueous solution led to increasing the solubility of carbamazepine by 3- to 12-folds, depending upon its type and concentration. This event also resulted in enhancing the magnitude of a sink condition during the dissolution study. As a result, the dissolution rate of carbamazepine was affected by the aqueous surfactant concentration in a proportional manner. Subsequently, $T_{50%}$ values declined rapidly, as the surfactant concentration increased. Such effects were observed in decreasing order of sodium lauryl sulfate, cetyltirmethylammonium bromide, and polysorbate 80. These results clearly demonstrated that it was possible to tailor a dissolution rate and $T_{50%}$ of carbamazepine by manipulating the type and concentration of a surfactant. Relevant information would be beneficial to setting up dissolution specifications for poorly water-soluble drug products.