The relaxation kinetics of insoluble monolayers at constant surface pressure can be characterized in more detail by the nucleation model introduced for the transformation of monolayer material to overgrown three-dimensional centres. For the metastable surface pressure region between 22 mNm-1 and 40 mNm-1 the relaxation of octadecanoic acid monolayers at constant surface pressures on pH3 water (T = 20-degrees-C) has been investigated systematically. The experimental results are described by the mechanism of progressive nucleation with hemispherical edge growth.