Amino acid activation reaction with valyl-tRNA synthetase (EC 6.1.1.9) from Bacillus stearothermophilus was studied kinetically by measuring ATP-PPi exchange to find the order of the binding of substrate to the enzyme. The effects of the concentration of the substrates (L-valine and ATP) and two dead-end inhibitors (L-valinol and adenosine) on the reaction rate were analyzed. The results indicate that L-valine and ATP are bound to the enzyme in a random sequence. This conclusion is consistent with the one previously suggested by static binding experiments.