The literature on metal ion speciation in solid matrices is reviewed, taking into account its applications in the analysis of soil, sediment, biological materials, foodstuff and other solid samples. The pretreatment methods of various solid materials required for carrying out speciation studies have been highlighted. The basis of the methods of separation of different species from matrices, such as sequential extraction, selective extraction, etc. is discussed. The instrumental techniques used for the characterization of different chemical species in solid matrices have been mentioned. The literature survey reveals the analytical details of the developed methodologies, and these have been examined in terms of the limit of detection, precision and accuracy.