A comparative study on the preparation of tantalum silicides (including TaSi 2 , Ta 5 Si 3 , Ta 2 Si, and Ta 3 Si) in the Ta–Si system was conducted by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) from elemental powder compacts of corresponding stoichiometries. For the powder compacts of Ta:Si=5:3 and 2:1, upon ignition a planar combustion front traversing the entire sample was easily achieved even without prior heating. In contrast, a preheating temperature of 300°C was required for the samples of Ta:Si=3:1 and 1:2 to establish the propagation of a planar reaction front in a self-sustaining manner. It was found that the flame-front propagation velocity and combustion temperature were increased by increasing the preheating temperature and sample compaction density. Among the test samples of different compositions, the reactant compact of Ta:Si=5:3 exhibited the highest flame speed, followed sequentially by the powder compacts of Ta:Si=2:1, 3:1, and 1:2. The variation of combustion temperature with starting stoichiometry of the reactant compact was in a manner consistent with that of the flame-front velocity. According to the XRD analysis, a complete conversion yielding single-phase disilicide TaSi 2 was achieved from the sample compact of Ta:Si=1:2. The silicides phases Ta 5 Si 3 and Ta 2 Si were obtained in relatively pure form through combustion reactions of the powder compacts with Ta:Si=5:3 and 2:1, respectively. However, a poor degree of phase transformation was observed in the case of Ta:Si=3:1, which produced a multiphase product composed mostly of Ta 2 Si and Ta 5 Si 3 , along with small amounts of Ta 3 Si and elemental Ta. In addition, based upon the temperature dependence of combustion wave velocity established in this study, the activation energies associated with combustion synthesis of Ta 5 Si 3 , Ta 2 Si, and TaSi 2 were determined to be 105.2, 65.5, and 153.8kJ/mol, respectively.