Abstract The implementation of sliding mode control is often irritated by high frequency oscillations known as “chattering” in system outputs issued by dynamics from actuators and sensors ignored in system modeling. This paper provides analysis of chattering in such systems with unmodeled based on the Lyapunov theory and the describing function method. It also describes various approaches to reduce chattering including methods based on relay control gain adaptation. And for those systems to which the methods are not applicable, chattering frequency control using hysteresis loop will be provided.