A surface acoustic wave apparatus includes an input terminal, an output terminal, a plurality of acoustically coupled interdigital transducers (IDT), and a phase rotating element (line or inductor) connected in parallel with one or more IDT's. The acoustically coupled IDT's are connected in series between the input and output terminals. Alternatively, the acoustically coupled IDT's may include a series IDT to which the phase rotating element is connected and which is connected in series between the input and output terminals, and a branch IDT acoustically coupled to the series IDT, and disposed on a transmission path which branches from a transmission path between the input and output terminals to a reference potential. Among the plurality of IDT's, .lamda.a.gtoreq..lamda.b is established, where .lamda.a represents an electrode finger pitch of the IDT to which the phase rotating element is connected, and .lamda.b represents an electrode finger pitch of the IDT to which no phase rotating element is connected.