Recent O1s XPS studies suggest that significant free oxide (O^2– or K–O–K) is present in potassium silicate glasses, in contrast with what was concluded from ²⁹Si and ¹⁷O solid-state NMR data. An alternative peak assignment of the Qⁿ peaks in the ²⁹Si NMR spectra was proposed to bring the ²⁹Si NMR data in line with the O1s data, but this reassignment (i) is not supported by any evidence other than the resulting agreement between the NMR and XPS data, (ii) is at odds with the spectral properties of the bands (peak position and width), (iii) ignores the strong evidence for the original peak assignment, and (iv) results in highly implausible equilibrium constants for the Qⁿ speciation reactions. More likely causes for the apparent discrepancy between the XPS and NMR data are the incorrect estimation of the precision of the bridging oxygen content from the O1s XPS data, the systematic overestimation of the bridging oxygen content from the O1s XPS data, and (or) the incorrect estimation of the accuracy of the compositional analysis, which was based on the precision rather than the accuracy of the electron microprobe analysis. Thus, the available evidence strongly suggests that the original assignment of the ²⁹Si NMR spectra is correct. Neither the ²⁹Si NMR nor the O1s XPS data support the presence of significant amounts of free oxide in potassium silicate glasses with K₂O/SiO₂ ≪ 2.