Abstract: A steel wire for making a high strength steel wire product which contains 0.6-1.1% C, 0.2-0.6% Si, 0.3-0.8% Mn, and impurities of max 0.010% P, max 0.010% S, max 0.003% O(oxygen), and max 0.002% N, and has a structure in which the maximum pearlite block size is 4.0 .mu.m, the maximum separation distance in pearlite lamellars is 0.1 .mu.m, and the maximum content of free ferrite is 1% by volume.The steel wire can be manufactured in the process as follows;1 heating a steel wire rod having above-mentioned chemical composition to the austenite range above Ac.sub.3 point or A.sub.cm point,2 initiating plastic deformation to not less than 20% total reduction in cross-sectional area in the temperature range 850.degree. C. -750.degree. C.,3 finishing plastic deformation in the range below Ae.sub.1 point and above 650.degree. C., and4 continuously cooling to a range lower than 650.degree. C. and higher than 550.degree. C., and thus transforming into pearlite phase.