AbstractRaman spectroscopy was used to study the liquid–solid water phase transition. Special attention was devoted to the OHstretching band of the Raman spectrum, which shows monotonous changes in the temperature range between 10 and − 15 °C. The interpretation of this spectral change, as well as a careful analysis of its integrated scattered intensity, led to a spectral marker that allows the determination of the water phase (liquid or solid), and the efficient identification of the liquid–solid phase transition itself. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.