Borates are built from the [B phi 3] planar triangles and the [B phi 4] tetrahedral groups, where phi denotes 0 or OH. However, the [B phi 4.] groups in some borates are highly distorted to include three normal B-O bonds and one anomalously long B-O bond and, therefore, are best described as the [OBO3] pyramids. Four synthetic borates of the boracitetype structures (Mg3B7O13Br, Cu3B7O13Br, Zn3B7O13Cl, and Mg3B7O13Cl) containing a range of [OBO3] pyramids were investigated by multifield (7.05, 14.1, and 21.1 T) B-11 magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR), triple quantum (3Q) MAS NMR experiments, as well as density functional theory calculations. The high-resolution B-11 MAS NMR. spectra supported by theoretical predictions show that the [OBO3] pyramids are characterized by isotropic chemical shifts delta(iso)(B-11) from 1.4(1) to 4.9(1) ppm and nuclear quadrupole parameters C-Q(B-11) up to 1.3(1) MHz, both significantly different from those of the [BO4] and [BO3] groups in borates. These delta(iso)(B-11) and CQ(B-11) values indicate that the [OBO3] pyramids represent an intermediate state between the [BO4] tetrahedra and [BO3] triangles and demonstrate that the B-11 NMR parameters of four coordinate boron oxyanions are sensitive to local structural environments. The orientation of the calculated unique electronic field gradient tensor element V-zz of the [OBO3] pyramids is aligned approximately along the direction of the anomalously long B-O bond, corresponding to B-2p(z) with the lowest electron density.