The Great British
Cliteracy Test

You might know it as the ‘clit’, the ‘bean’, the ‘love button’, or even (apparently) the ‘little man in the canoe’ – but how much do you really know about the clitoris?

This March, we're making it all about the clit with our campaign for pleasure: this girl came. But when we put the nation's knowledge to the test, we realised that most people still don't know enough about this phenomenal part of the anatomy.

Here, you’ll find out what percentage of people actually know where the clitoris is – and the truth behind the ‘orgasm assumption gap’ among men who have sex with women. You’ll also get a chance to win up to £250 worth of clitoral suction sex toys when you take The Great British Cliteracy test below.*

The majority of Brits aren’t cliterate

When shown a diagram of the clitoral anatomy, slightly less than a third (32%) confidently said ‘yes, I know what this is’. But, when we asked them to name it , only 8% correctly identified it as the clitoris. Almost a quarter thought it was a diagram of the heart (24%)!

Of all respondents, only 3% were able to correctly identify a diagram of the clitoris. “Turns out that the clit is huge and a bit like an iceberg,” says Dr. Suzanne Belton, a professor of Public Health & Anthropology and qualified midwife. “We may know the tip (glans) but we miss what is inside.”

Surely most people know where to find the clit on the body, even if they don’t recognize the diagram? 90% of respondents agree, telling us with confidence that they do know where the clitoris is. However, when shown a diagram of the vulva in all its glory, just 30% identified the correct location of the clitoris.

It seems that the nation’s ‘cliteracy rate’ is declining, too. Just 26% of Gen Z located the clitoris successfully, and this number increased throughout the generations. Boomers (32%) were the most adept at finding it.

Did you know...?

• The clitoris is the pleasure centre of the female reproductive anatomy

• It has over 10,000 nerve endings, more than double that of a penis

• It’s the only human organ whose primary function is pleasure

• The full internal anatomy of the clitoris wasn’t mapped until 1998

• The first 3D images of the clitoris weren’t produced until 2008

• The root of the word ‘clitoris’ is often thought to stem from Ancient Greece, ‘kleitoris’, meaning ‘Little Hill’ or ‘To Rub’

Masturbation masters or cliterally challenged?

“The clitoris contains a dense network of nerve endings and, as research suggests, is central to orgasm for many women,” explains Sarah Mulindwa, a sexual health nurse.

In fact, only 18% of women report that intercourse alone, without any clitoral stimulation, is enough for orgasm. And yet, the clitoris still gets overlooked. We showed our female respondents another diagram of the vulva and asked which areas they stimulate during masturbation.

Only 36% of women say they stimulate the clitoris during self-pleasure. We also asked men the same question, and just 33% said they stimulate the clitoris when having sex with a woman or person with a vulva. That could mean that nearly two thirds of M/F couples are missing out on a key aspect of female pleasure.

“The clitoris is not small nor is it difficult to stimulate the thousands of nerve endings that trigger orgasms, however the research shows that it’s hit or miss [whether it gets stimulated], especially for heterosexual women who are having penis in vagina (PIV) sex,” says Dr Suzanne Belton.

It’s always worth exploring different kinds of stimulation during sex or self-pleasure, as you might discover a whole new sensation that feels good to you. From the earlobes to the toes, everyone has their own unique combination of erogenous zones that can feel amazing to touch.

“Although pleasure is all about discovery and choice, if the majority of women aren’t stimulating the clitoris during masturbation, they could be holding back a key aspect of their pleasure journey,” Sarah Mulindwa adds.

Where are people learning about the clitoris?

It’s easy to write off romantic partners for not knowing where the clitoris is or what it looks like, but we should also understand why. From the research, we found that only 34% of people (and 27% of females) remember learning anything at all about the clitoris during sex education in school.

Asked specifically about where they learned about female sexual anatomy, 16% of female respondents said they had never learned about it, while a further 16% say they taught themselves. Men are most likely to learn from their partners (22%), but 13% also say that pornography has taught them the most about female sexual anatomy.

“Understanding one’s body is a fundamental aspect of health literacy,” says Sarah. “Comprehensive sex education equips individuals with the knowledge to make informed decisions about their own body and communicate effectively about health and wellbeing." That’s why it’s important to us to shine a light on general cliteracy rates in the UK.

Going further, we found that 18% of people have talked to AI about clitoral stimulation. Men (23%) were more likely to be quizzing artificial intelligence about this topic than women (13%), while millennials (30%) and Gen Z (30%) were the most likely generations.

“While positive that people are seeking information (through AI), it should be viewed as a starting point rather than a definitive source. Trusted sources include the NHS, local sexual health clinics, and organisations such as Brook UK,” says Sarah. You can also explore our sex advice guides to discover all kinds of pleasure tips.

The Orgasm Assumption Gap

The orgasm gap is still unfortunately alive and kicking, as the data revealed just 11% of women climax every time compared to 36% of men.

In our research, we also uncovered an ‘orgasm assumption gap’. 11% of women say they have an orgasm every time during penetrative sex, but more than twice the amount of men said they think their partner orgasms every time (23%). That’s a huge gap in men’s understanding of their partner’s pleasure.

In comparison, 34% of women think that their partner orgasms every time they have penetrative sex, almost matching the 36% of men who say that about themselves. “The research shows that men, especially heterosexual men, overestimated their bed moves and that could be due to porn, which men used much more often than women,” says Dr. Suzanne Belton. “Guys, back to school and more homework!”

Clearly, we have work to do when it comes to educating everyone on sexual anatomy and supporting women to ask for the pleasure they need. With this girl came, our goal is to show the power of clitoral stimulation and give women more options for pleasure that work with their anatomy.

Are you cliterate? Take the test

Think that you have what it takes to pass the Great British Cliteracy Test? Challenge your knowledge by taking the test yourself.

If you answer all the questions correctly and subscribe to our newsletter, you’ll get the chance to win up to £250 worth of toys – including the Womanizer Classic 2 in our limited edition gold colourway and a Lovehoney Rose.*

Womanizer is a leading sex toy brand for women and pioneer of clitoral suction technology, which stimulates the clitoris with air pulses instead of vibrations. Our iconic Lovehoney Rose uses a similar motor to tease the clitoris, letting you dial up the intensity level without overstimulating this sensitive area. These toys are primed to help anyone with a vulva discover incredible clitoral pleasure, and can be used during partnered sex or solo play.

10 runners up will receive a Womanizer necklace in the shape of a clitoris, so you can wear it with pride to educate your lovers on this important pleasure zone!

*Check out the competition T&Cs.

Sources: Lovehoney x Censuswide survey, 2,000 nationally representative adults in the UK (February 2026)