The tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) are two small molecules geometrically very similar, but having different polar groups. Taking into account the intermolecular interactions in the TBA/H2O and DMSO/H2O systems, especially in the water-rich region of concentration, the ultrasonic speeds (high accuracy resonance method at the frequency 7.5 MHz) and densities in pseudo-binary mixtures of the system: (TBA + H2O + DMSO) with the ratio (TBA + DMSO)/H2O = 1/25 have been measured. From these data, various thermodynamical parameters such as adiabatic compressibility, molar volume, thermal expansivity, and the deviation from reference system have been calculated. In addition, the isobaric molar heat capacity to convert adiabatic compressibility to the isothermal one has been measured. All these parameters have been discussed to explain solute-solvent and solute-solute interactions, especially the effect of the complexation process between TBA and DMSO molecules. The composition dependence of these deviations functions was interpreted in the light of the mixing schemes in the aqueous solutions of TBA and DMSO. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.