Vanguard Specialized Funds
                                  P.O. Box 2600
                             Valley Forge, PA 19482
                                 (610) 669-1000

                               September 22, 2004

United States Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20549
Attention:  Ruth Sanders, Senior Counsel

         RE:      VANGUARD SPECIALIZED FUNDS
                  File No. 2-88116


Dear Ms. Sanders:

     Pursuant to Rule 477(a)  under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  the  Vanguard
Specialized  Funds (the  "Trust")  request the  withdrawal  of a  post-effective
amendment  that was  inadvertently  filed on September 21, 2004 pursuant to rule
485(b)  (the   "Amendment").   The  Amendment's   EDGAR   accession   number  is
0000932471-04-001046.  The Trust requests the withdrawal of the Amendment on the
grounds  that the filing was made  pursuant to rule 485(b)  rather than  485(a).
Immediately after making the inadvertent  filing pursuant to 485(b), we re-filed
the same  document  pursuant  to  485(a).  Note that we are not  requesting  the
withdrawal of Post-Effective Amendment 49 that was made pursuant to rule 485(a).

     Please direct any communications concerning this filing to the undersigned.

Sincerely,


Christopher A. Wightman
Assistant Secretary


cc:  Christian Sandoe, Esq.