A systematic approach to the chattering analysis in systems with second-order sliding modes is developed. The neglected actuator dynamics is considered to be the main cause of chattering in real systems. The magnitude of oscillations in nonlinear systems with unmodeled fast nonlinear actuators driven by second-order sliding-mode control generalized suboptimal (2-SMC G-SO) algorithms is evaluated. Sufficient conditions for the existence of orbitally stable periodic motions are found in terms of the properties of corresponding Poincare maps. For linear systems driven by 2-SMC G-SO algorithms, analysis tools based on the frequency-domain methods are developed. The first of these techniques is based on the describing function method and provides for a simple approximate approach to evaluate the frequency and the amplitude of possible periodic motions. The second technique represents a modified Tsypkin's method and provides for a relatively simple, theoretically exact, approach to evaluate the periodic motion parameters. Examples of analysis and simulation results are given throughout this paper.