The geometries of a series of metal complex and other inorganic ions have been retrieved from crystal structures of their salts in the Cambridge Structural Database. These ions show substantially higher variation (Ï ) in their bond lengths and angles than would be expected on the basis of normal crystallographic estimates of precision (standard uncertainty). There is clear evidence of a link between Ï and the softness of systems. Thus Mâ Cl bond length Ï values are small for species such as [SnCl6]^2â or [MoCl6]^3â (Ï â =â 0.016 and 0.010 à respectively) while at the other extreme [TeCl6]^2â or [BiCl6]^3â have Ï â =â 0.083 and 0.094 à respectively. Baseline uncertainty levels are apparent in even very well behaved systems such as [PtCl4]^2â and [PtCl6]^2â (bond length and bond angle Ï values of ca. 0.01 à and 1.0° respectively). There is no evidence that the geometries of the complex ions studied here are substantially more variable than those of similar neutral molecules. There is some evidence that the â organicâ or non-metal aspects of molecular geometry are less variable than the metal-containing aspects.