Synchrotron-based X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to measure N 1s binding energies of several metal amido, imido, and nitrido complexes of group 5 and 6 metals. The N 1s binding energy decreases as the formal M-N bond order increases. A simple correlation between the contraction of the M-N bond and the lowering of binding energy is also observed. This correlation supports a notion that the bonding character of a linear metal-imido linkage resembles that of a metal-nitrido linkage closely.