The pullout of a single fiber from a brittle matrix is widely recognized as one of the basic tests to be performed to provide information about the expected behavior of a given fiber-reinforced brittle matrix composite material. Thus, it is of great importance that the pullout test be interpreted in a way that yields the true material parameters. Two approaches to the fiber/matrix debonding problem can be made: (1) The stress approach where the criterion for growth of the debonded fiber/matrix interface is expressed in terms of the interfacial stress; and (2) the fracture mechanical approach where the criterion for interfacial debonding is expressed in terms of energy equilibrium. This paper investigates these two approaches by applying both to the same model, which includes frictional stresses on the debonded interface. The debonding load-versus-crack length relationships predicted by the two approaches are compared and differences in the parametric dependency are discussed. The results predicted by the fracture mechanical approach are compared with available experimental results. © ASCE.