Love Calculator on Paper - Calculate Love % with Names
You want to calculate your love percentage without a phone or app, just a pen, paper, and two names. There are three methods that work. All three are free, take under 3 minutes, and give you a love percentage you can calculate anywhere.
Here is the complete step-by-step guide with worked examples for every method.
What Is a Love Calculator on Paper?
A love calculator on paper is the original way people tested love compatibility before the internet existed. Long before any online prank calculator or modern soulmate calculator appeared, people would write two names on paper, follow a simple set of steps, and end up with a percentage or relationship result that showed how compatible two people might be.
The paper method is still one of the most popular ways to check love compatibility, especially among students and anyone who wants a fun offline way to test their feelings without relying on a prank calculator or a random online result. Unlike many prank calculators, paper methods actually follow clear rules that anyone can understand and repeat.
The most popular paper methods are
The FLAMES method, which gives you a relationship type rather than a percentage
The letter counting method, which gives you a love percentage by comparing matching letters
The numerology method, which gives you a percentage using name numbers, is similar to how a true soulmate calculator works
Method 1 - The Letter Counting Method (Love % on Paper)
This is the most popular method for calculating a love percentage on paper using names.
What you need
Pen, paper, and two names.
Procedure
Step 1: Write both full names next to each other on one line. Example: ALEX and MIA write ALEXMIA
Step 2: Count how many times each letter in the word LOVE appears in the combined names.
- L appears: 1 time (in ALEX)
- O appears: 0 times
- V appears: 0 times
- E appears: 1 time (in ALEX)
Step 3: Write the total counts side by side: 1, 0, 0, 1
Step 4: Add adjacent numbers together until you get two single digits. 1+0=1, 0+0=0, 0+1=1 –> 1, 0, 1 1+0=1, 0+1=1 –> 1, 1 1+1 = 11%
Important note: Different name combinations produce very different results. Names with more L, O, V, E letters in them will score higher. This is why people with names like Oliver, Violet, Evelyn, or Leo tend to get higher scores.
For a fast, automatic version of this same calculation, use our love calculator; it does all the steps instantly.
Method 2 - The FLAMES Method on Paper
FLAMES is the most well-known love compatibility game you can play on paper. Instead of a percentage, it gives you a relationship type.
FLAMES stands for:
F – Friends
L – Lovers
A – Affection
M – Marriage
E – Enemies
S – Siblings
Example
Use the names: MAX and AMY
Step 1: Write both names.
MAX –> M, A, X
AMY –> A, M, Y
Step 2: Cross out all letters that appear in BOTH names.
M appears in both → cross out M from both
A appears in both → cross out A from both
Remaining letters: MAX without M and A = X
AMY without A and M = Y
Step 3: Count the total remaining letters.
X + Y = 2 letters
Step 4: Write FLAMES and count through it using your number.
F-L-A-M-E-S –> count to 2 –> land on L
Result: LOVERS ❤️
If you land on a letter, cross it out, restart counting from the next letter, and keep going until only one letter remains. That final letter is your result.
Quick example of extended counting:
If remaining letters = 8:
Count F(1), L(2), A(3), M(4), E(5), S(6), F(7), L(8) → cross out L
Restart: A(1), M(2), E(3), S(4), F(5), A(6), M(7), E(8) → cross out E
Continue until one letter remains.
Try the digital version of this game with our Love Calculator. It runs the full FLAMES calculation automatically.
Method 3 - The Numerology Method (Advanced Love % on Paper)
This is the most accurate paper method because it uses your name’s numerical value, not just letter matching.
Procedure
Step 1: Convert each letter to a number using this key. A=1, B=2, C=3, D=4, E=5, F=6, G=7, H=8, I=9, J=10, K=11, L=12, M=13, N=14, O=15, P=16, Q=17, R=18, S=19, T=20, U=21, V=22, W=23, X=24, Y=25, Z=26
Step 2: Add up the numbers for each name. Example: JOHN = J(10)+O(15)+H(8)+N(14) = 47 SARA = S(19)+A(1)+R(18)+A(1) = 39
Step 3: Add both name totals together. 47 + 39 = 86
Step 4: Reduce to a two-digit number if needed. 86 is already two digits. If you got 120, you would reduce it: 1+2+0 = 3 → read as 3% (too low). So keep two-digit results as-is for a more realistic score.
Step 5: Your love percentage is 86%.
Score breakdown:
- 80 to 100%: Strong love bond
- 60 to 79%: Good compatibility
- 40 to 59%: Moderate, needs effort
- Below 40%: Challenging match
You can also try this manually using your date of birth. Add all the digits of your birth date down to a single number, then compare it with your partner’s number using the compatibility table above.
Which Method Is Most Accurate?
For Most fun: FLAMES method. It gives a clear relationship result and is great for groups.
Most popular: The letter counting method is quick, easy, and everyone knows how to do it.
Most accurate: The numerology method uses the actual numerical value of every letter, not just matching. Closest to what our online calculator uses.
If you want the most accurate result possible without going fully manual, use our love calculator by name. It runs the calculation instantly and gives you a combined score.
Tips for Getting Better Results on Paper
Use your full name
Nicknames give you a different result because they carry different letter values. For the most meaningful score, always use your full birth name.
Double-check your letter counts
The most common mistake is miscounting letters. Write them out one by one rather than scanning the whole name at once.
Try the same method twice
If you get a surprising result, very high or very low, run it again to confirm. A calculation error is always possible on paper.
Compare with the online calculator
After doing it on paper, run the same names through our love calculator by name to compare. If the results are close, you did the paper method correctly.