The sorption of water in poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) from aqueous solutions containing a small (5 x 10(-5) mol fraction) of three different surfactants was investigated as a function of external tensile stress. One of the surfactants, a polyoxyethylene alcohol, exhibited a strong stress effect, producing an increase in water solubility of nearly an order of magnitude for stress levels > 40 MPa in amorphous PEEK. The solubility and diffusion coefficient for the sorption of water into PEEK were also investigated. The critical stress (strain) for water sorption, the rate of wetting, and surface deformation morphology were determined. In these aqueous solutions, the primary factor affecting stress-enhanced sorption is a reduction in surface energy and associated surface mobility.