Abstract: In order to investigate the coupling between cigarette paper and cut tobacco filler for a lit cigarette and its influences on the apparent combustion property of cigarette, a synchronous testing method for the instantaneous combustion rates of cigarette paper and cut filler was established based on thermal imaging method and the characteristic temperature method. The quantitative evaluation indexes of combustion coupling between cigarette paper and cut filler were proposed and measured, and the influencing mechanism of combustion coupling compatibility on the apparent combustion properties of cigarettes with different circumferences was analyzed according to the temperature variations of combustion cones. The results showed that: 1) There was no significant difference in the instantaneous combustion rates of cigarette paper and cut filler of three different circumference cigarettes during smoldering, while there was a significant difference during puffing. 2) The combustion of the cigarette was driven by the cut filler in the smoldering stage, while it was driven by the cigarette paper in the puffing stage. The smaller the circumference was, the higher the peak value of the puffing coupling degree and the worse the compatibility would be. However, since the total combustion coupling degree was close to 1.0, indicating that the serious imbalance of cigarette paper and cut filler combustion caused by puffing gradually recovered during a longer smoldering period. 3) The greater imbalance in the combustion of demi- and super-slim cigarettes was one of the main reasons for their higher cone-falling propensities. The accelerated heat transfer during cigarette combustion shortened the burn line formation and disappearance cycle, which made the burn lines narrower and more uniform. However, the accelerated heat transfer during cigarette combustion had a smaller effect on the ashing completeness of the combustion cone, so the ash color difference between cigarettes with different circumferences was relatively small.