There is provided a process for producing an acetylene compound useful as an intermediate of pharmaceuticals, from 4-nitrofluorobenzene, in industrially and economically advantageous manner. Concretely, it is a method for producing an acetylene compound of formula (3) ##STR1##

characterized by reacting 4-nitrofluorobenzene of formula (1) ##STR2##

with an alkoxide of 2-methyl-3-butyn-2-ol of formula (2) ##STR3##

at -20 to 10 C.