How FLAMES works
FLAMES has been played in school notebooks for generations. The idea is to cancel out the letters two names have in common, count what is left and use that number to remove letters from the word FLAMES. The last letter standing is the answer.
The calculator follows exactly those steps. After crossing out common letters, it takes the number of letters left, counts that far along F, L, A, M, E, S, removes that letter and carries on from the next one until one letter remains.
A worked example
Take Tom and Ann. They share no letters, so all six letters stay and the count is 6. Counting six along F L A M E S lands on S, which is removed. Counting on lands on F, then A, then L, then E. The letter left is M, so Tom and Ann are Marriage. If one letter were shared, the count would be 4 and the answer would be different, so even a small change in spelling can change the result.
Try it with others
Because the result depends on spelling, people try nicknames, full names and different versions of a name until they get the answer they like. That is part of the fun and it is a good reminder not to take it too seriously.
For a percentage instead of a label, use the love calculator. To compare birthdays rather than names, try the zodiac compatibility calculator.
Questions people ask
What does FLAMES stand for?
F is Friends, L is Lovers, A is Affection (some versions say Anger or Attraction), M is Marriage, E is Enemies and S is Siblings. The game removes letters one by one until a single letter is left, and that letter is your result.
How do you play FLAMES step by step?
Write both names and cross out every letter they share, once for each match. Count the letters that are left. Then go along the word FLAMES, counting to that number, and cross out the letter you land on. Carry on counting from the next letter, skipping the crossed-out ones, until only one letter remains.
Is FLAMES accurate?
No. It is a game of arithmetic on spelling. It knows nothing about the two people, so do not use it to make decisions. Two people with the same two names always get the same answer, and a different spelling of the same name can change it.
What happens if the names have the same letters?
If every letter cancels, there is nothing left to count and the game cannot continue. Try a longer name, a nickname or a different spelling. Names with no letters at all are not accepted either.
Does it matter which name goes first?
No. The common letters are crossed out from both names and then the leftovers are counted together, so the order of the names does not change the result. That is a difference from some other name games, including our love calculator.