Sulfur dioxide leaching studies on low-grade manganese ore were carried out at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The experiments carried out using -150 mum particles aimed at determining maximum extraction of manganese, which was found to be 97.5%. It was possible to extract 96.7% manganese at twice the stoichiometric quantity of SO2 required for dissolution of manganese. The effect of particle size, stoichiometric quantity of SO2 added, and duration of leaching were studied using 3(3) full factorial design. The data were analyzed qualitatively as well as quantitatively. In addition to this, kinetic equations were tested to determine the rate-controlling step of the reaction.