Laminar flame speeds of 2-methyl-1-butanol (2MB)-air mixture at temperatures of 393, 433 and 473 K, pressures of 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 MPa, and equivalence ratios of 0.6-1.8 were measured using the spherically propagating flame. Flame instabilities were analyzed using the Lewis number, flame thickness, density ratio and Markstein length combining with the schlieren photos. Flame instability is insensitive to temperature while it increases with the increase of pressure. A correlation of laminar flame speed is provided on the basis of experimental data. Comparison was made between the laminar flame speeds of 2-methyl-1-butanol and ethanol, n-butanol and iso-octane. Results show that 2-methyl-1-butanol has the close values of laminar flame speed with those of n-butanol, but lower than those of ethanol and higher than those of iso-octane. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.