Premixed fuel-air flame propagation is investigated in a single-cylinder, spark-ignited, four-stroke optical test engine using high-speed imaging. Circles and ellipses are fitted onto image projections of visible light emitted by the flames. The images are subsequently analysed to statistically evaluate: flame area; flame speed; centroid; perimeter; and various flame-shape descriptors. Results are presented for gasoline, isooctane, E85 and M85. The experiments were conducted at stoichiometric conditions for each fuel, at two engine speeds of 1200 rpm (rpm) and 1500 rpm, which are at 40% and 50% of rated engine speed. Furthermore, different fuel and speed sets were investigated under two compression ratios (CR: 5.00 and 8.14). Statistical tools were used to analyse the large number of data obtained, and it was found that flame speed distribution showed agreement with the normal distribution. Comparison of results assuming spherical and non-isotropic propagation of flames indicate non-isotropic flame propagation should be considered for the description of in-cylinder processes with higher accuracy. The high temporal resolution of the sequence of images allowed observation of the spark-ignition delay process. The results indicate that gasoline and isooctane have somewhat similar flame propagation behaviour. Additional differences between these fuels and E85 and M85 were also recorded and identified. (C) 2013 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.