A misfire detection method is provided. which method makes it possible to accurately detect the occurrence/absence of misfire by eliminating a detection error in misfire detection, which error is caused by a vibrational increase or decrease of the rotational changing rate of a crankshaft after a misfire state occurs, and which method does not require any special hardware for that purpose. A processor, which receives pulse outputs from a crank angle sensor. calculates in sequence angular accelerations Dω
n-2 , Dω
n-1 , Dω
n , and Dω
n+1 in crank angle areas which correspond to a preceding cylinder, two cylinders checked for misfire, and a succeeding cylinder, respectively. If the values Dω
n-1 and Dω
n significantly decrease in comparison with the values Dω
n-2 and Dω
n-1 , respectively. then it is tentatively determined that misfire has occurred in both cylinders checked. Then if the value Dω
n+1 significantly increases in comparison with the value Dω
n , then the restoration to the normal combustion state is confirmed, and the occurrence of misfire in the two cylinders checked is definitely determined.