How to Light a Match

If you already know how to light matches normally and want to learn a few fun lighting tricks, click here .

Wooden Matches

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   Grasp the match firmly at its midpoint. Use your your pointer (index) finger and your thumb to hold the match about halfway down the wooden stick. You can gently wrap your other fingers around the base of the stick for support if needed. ^[1]

   • If this is the first time you've ever tried to light a match, stick with wooden "strike on box" matches for now — these are generally the easiest to light for beginners. Once you get confident with these, you can move onto paper matches and "strike anywhere" matches.
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   Press the match head into the striker. Look for a rough red or brownish strip on the side of the box. This is called the "striker." Hold the box in the hand you're not using to hold the match and press the match head (the round, colored part at the end) into the striker without moving it to either side yet. ^[2]
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   Quickly drag the match head along the striker. Without letting up the pressure, quickly slide the match head from one end of the striker to the other. This motion should be quite quick and hard. It's almost as if you're trying to rub the match head material off in a single rough motion. ^[3] If you do this right, the match head will immediately catch fire, so don't be alarmed when this happens!

   • The exact amount of pressure you'll need to light the match here will vary from match to match and striker to striker. There's a "happy medium" between pressing so hard that the match breaks and pressing so gently that the match doesn't light. Within a few tries, you should get the hang of it.
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   If needed, try again. Matches don't always light on the first try. Don't worry if you don't get a flame immediately: simply repeat the striking motion again until you get a result. You may want to use a little extra pressure if you're worried that you were too gentle the first time.

   • After a few unsuccessful attempts, the flammable material in the match head (usually a mixture of potassium chloride and red phosphorus) will rub off. If this happens, try striking with the other side of the match head.
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   Hold the lit match away from the matchbook. You will know as soon as you light your match successfully. It will smoke and burst into flame almost instantly. At this point, grip the match near its base to protect your fingers from the flame and use the match to do whatever you need to do. Set the matchbook aside somewhere safe so that you don't accidentally catch it on fire. Congratulations — you've just lit your first match!
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Paper Matches

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   Tear a single match from the booklet. Paper matches almost always come in small cardboard fold-over "book" — slip the flat piece of cardboard up to reveal a handful of small paper matches joined to the booklet at their bases. To get a match ready to light, grab one of the matches, fold it so it points away from the others, and tear it out at its base.

   • Paper matches are a little harder to light than wooden matches, but with a little practice, they're easily mastered. Don't worry if you have to try the tricks in this section several times until you find a method that's right for you.
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   Hold the match flat against the striker. There are a few different ways to light paper matches, but the easiest is a little different than the way you'd light a wooden match. Start by laying the match down over the striker (which is usually a small colored strip on the back of the matchbook). The head of the match should be in about the middle of the striker and the base of the match should stick out a little past the edge of the booklet.
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   Fold the paper flap over to cover the match. Without moving the match, bend the "cover" of the matchbook backward and fold it over the match. You should only be able to see the base of the matchstick poking out of the side of the matchbook. Feel for the round match head underneath the cardboard. Grab the matchbook here, putting gentle pressure on the match head through the cardboard with your thumb.

   • Try to keep the match head well-covered by the cardboard cover. If the edge of the match head is exposed when you strike the match, you can burn your thumb.
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   Squeeze and pull! Grab the base of the match that is sticking out of the folded matchbook with your dominant hand. Use your other hand to hold the booklet, pressing down on the match head. In one quick motion, squeeze down on the match head as you pull the match out of the booklet to the side. If done correctly, the friction between the striker and the match head should ignite the match head as you yank it out.

   • As with wooden matches, the match can sometimes fail to light even if you do everything. Be ready to try repeating the steps above a few times. If you don't get any results, flip the match over to expose the other side of the match head to the striker.
   • Be careful — if you squeeze the matchbook too hard, you can tear off the match head when you try to light the match. This wastes the match, so try to avoid it if you're running low.
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   Alternatively, try lighting the match without folding the book. You can also light a paper match without squeezing it between the matchbook cover and the striker. This is a little trickier for beginners because it's easier to burn your fingers this way, but it is slightly quicker. To try this method, use these steps:

   • Hold the match in your dominant hand right with your thumb and middle finger. Put your index finger behind the match head. Hold the matchbook in your non-dominant hand.
   • Press down with your index finger and drag the match across the striker strip in a single quick motion — roughly like how you'd light a wooden match.
   • As soon as you notice the match light, move your index finger away from the flame or transfer the match to your other hand. You have to do this quick to avoid burning yourself.
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