Where Is the Clitoris? Location and Stimulation Tips

Popular culture has a large sway in how people perceive the female orgasm. If you watch movies or read books, you might think that the most common type of orgasm is the vaginal orgasm, achieved through penetration. In fact, while 28% of women do regularly orgasm through vaginal penetration, this pales in comparison to the clitoral orgasm, which 49% of women regularly report having!¹ This makes learning where the clitoris is and learning how to stimulate it incredibly important when it comes to making yourself or other people with vaginas happy. The good news is that this guide has been created to outline everything you need to know about a woman’s special place.

This guide will cover:

• Understanding the Clitoris
• Where Is the Clitoris Located?
• Clitoris Stimulation
• Clitoral Orgasm
• Conclusion

Understanding the Clitoris

As the clitoral orgasm is the most common type of orgasm for a woman to experience, this means that it is also the easiest one for you to try and achieve, whether you are pleasuring yourself or your partner. First of all, it is important to get more of the context surrounding what the clitoris is, what it looks like, and its location. Once you have learned all this, then you will be better prepared to learn how to reach an orgasm. 

What Is a Clitoris?

The clitoris is a female sexual organ found at the front of the vulva that plays a major role in a woman’s sexual arousal. With over 10,000 nerve fibers, it is the most erogenous and sensitive part of a woman’s body.² The only known function of the clitoris is to provide sexual pleasure, with more intense sensations than any other part of the vagina. When it is stimulated, it becomes swollen, more or less like a penis. 

Clitoral Anatomy

Your clitoris is a combination of regular tissue and muscle, as well as various connective tissues, covered by a clitoral hood formed from your labia. Around 90 percent of your clitoris is underneath a small nub, known as the glans clitoris. There are two flaps of skin around your clitoris known as the labia minora and labia majora. Your hood may cover all of your clitoris or some part of it. On the inside, it looks like an upside-down Y. It’s worth pointing out that every woman has a clitoris that looks different, so if you are looking at images of clitorises and don’t see one that looks like yours, there is no need to worry. 

History and Cultural Context

Unsurprisingly, just like much of history centered around women’s pleasure, the woman’s clitoris has had a long and bumpy scientific history and has been demeaned and misunderstood by legions of male researchers.³ The word comes from the Greek kleitoris, meaning both “little hill” and “to rub.” Incredibly, despite women having clitorises all this time, it has taken researchers thousands of years to fully map and understand clitoral anatomy. In 2005, Australian urologist Helen O’Connell dissected cadavers and used magnetic resonance imaging of living women to create a full anatomy of this organ.³ However, the research is still incomplete, meaning that there is definitely plenty for scientists to uncover about this fascinating part of the female body.  

Where Is the Clitoris Located?

The clitoris is located above the vagina and the urethra (where you pee). It is either completely underneath the clitoral hood or partially obscured. What you see here is just the glans, which can differ in size from a pea to a thumb. 

How to Find the Clit

For some women, learning how to find the clit is easy, for others it requires a bit more work. The first step is to move the clitoral hood out of the way, so you can touch the glans. First of all, it’s definitely recommended to wash your hands thoroughly, then lie on your back, and explore your body with your hands. Part your labia with two fingers, and use your middle one to explore your body. 

It helps to be turned on when doing this, consider masturbating or reading an erotic story, as well as using lube for extra stimulation. This is because everything swells and becomes easier to see when you are aroused. 

Tips for Locating the Clitoris

The best tip for locating the clitoris on your own body, especially as it is found at an angle where you can’t exactly directly see it, is to use a small mirror. By holding a mirror between your legs, you will easily be able to get a good view of your vagina. Then you should be looking for a small oval nub near the top of your vaginal lips. 

If you don’t have a hand mirror, you might not be able to see it, but you will definitely still be able to feel it, in all its mind-melting pleasure. After all, it’s not about what you can see with your eyes, but what you can stimulate with your fingers! 

Common Misconceptions

Due to hundreds of years of incorrect male-led research, there are many myths and misconceptions about the clitoris. Let’s clear up some of the biggies: 

• The clitoris is a small button: While the visible part of the clitoris can be the size of a pea, there is a complex system of tissues and nerves that extend deep inside the body and run along both sides of the vagina.
• The clitoris is external: As previously mentioned, only 10% of the clitoris is external. The other 90% is located underneath the visible clitoral glands.
• The clitoris is well-understood: History has not been kind to research female sexuality. We have only achieved a true picture of what the clitoris looks like within the last twenty-five years.
• Clitoral orgasms are completely different from vaginal orgasms: While clitoral orgasms do usually involve stimulation of the clitoral glans, while vaginal orgasms require penetration, vaginal orgasms are still related to the stimulation of the internal body of the clitoris that surrounds the vaginal canal.

Clitoris Stimulation

Now that you have learned all about the clitoris, including its anatomy and its history, as well as the many misconceptions attached to it, it’s time to get down to the fun part: learning how to stimulate your clitoris until orgasm. Let’s dig into the many clitoris stimulation techniques you can get involved with, whether alone, with your partner, or with a sex toy, below. 

Techniques for Clitoral Stimulation

Broadly speaking, there are three main techniques that you can use to achieve clitoral orgasm. The first is manual stimulation, which is where you or your partner rubs your clitoral glans and the surrounding areas with a hand. The second is oral simulation, whereby your partner licks and kisses your clitoris with their mouth and tongue. And the third is using sex toys, such as a vibrator, to achieve that big O. Let’s dig into the specifics. 

Manual Stimulation

Manual stimulation is probably the first time that you will discover the joys of clitoral orgasms. This is something that you can do on your own, or you can let a partner do it to you. First of all, find yourself in a comfortable place where you will not be disturbed. Afterward, you should lie down on your back and open your legs. Begin to stroke around the clitoris and your vagina and get your juices flowing. Then you should gently rub your clitoris with your finger. Focus on what feels good and what gets you going. Chase that feeling until you reach a mind-shattering orgasm. For extra smoothness on your clitoris and labia, it’s recommended to use plenty of lube!

Oral Stimulation

Unless you are particularly ambidextrous, oral stimulation is usually performed on the vagina-owner by a second party. Therefore, whether you have no idea about the clitoris or you are looking to give your partner tips, then learning about oral stimulation is one of the best ways to please your partner, especially when you consider that women are more likely to climax through clitoral stimulation than penetration. Giving oral sex can seem daunting at first, but if you follow a few simple tips you should be OK. 

Firstly, make sure your partner is comfortable. Secondly, gently touch the outside of her vagina with your tongue. Make a variety of motions around the labia before slowly reaching up to the clitoris itself. Once you are at the clitoris, you can then lick that area, slowly gaining in speed, until your partner climaxes. For extra stimulation, you can put your finger in her vagina, or in her butt. But always ask first! 

Using Sex Toys

The easiest way to fast-track your way to a quick and satisfying orgasm — perfect if you are in a rush and would like to cum fast — is by using a sex toy. The best option in this regard is a simple vibrator with adjustable settings. You can set it against your clitoris and turn it on. If you are worried about it being too sensitive, you should start on the lowest setting first. Then you can slowly increase the speed to see what works for you. If a vibrator doesn’t do it for you, then it’s definitely worth checking out the different types of sex toys on the market!

Clitoral Orgasm

Now that we have explained what a clitoris is and how to stimulate your or your partner’s vagina to orgasm, let’s dive into some of the key signs of the clitoral orgasm as well as the many ways that you will be able to enhance that orgasm for mind-bending pleasure. Read on now to learn all about it. 

Signs of Clitoral Orgasm

An orgasm is a bit like the famous quote about pornography: you know it when you feel it. Simply put, after moderate to hard stimulation of your clitoris, as well as other any other erogenous parts of your body, stretching from your boobs to your butt to your neck to your feet, you will experience a wave-like sensation, coming from your vagina but also spreading to other parts of your body. Here are some telltale signs of a clitoral orgasm: 

• An intense feeling of pleasure 
• An increase in your heart rate and breathing 
• Muscle contractions 
• Movement of toes and fingers 
• Moaning 
• A feeling of sleepiness 
• Increased sensitivity to touch

Enhancing Clitoral Orgasm

Now that you know how to achieve an orgasm, it’s worth figuring out the ways to make your clitoral orgasm even more powerful. Ways that you can make your clitoral orgasm even more powerful include: 

• Stimulating more senses by dimming the lights, putting music on, lighting scented candles 
• Using an extra slippery lube  
• Have your partner penetrate you at the same time for a vaginal/clitoral combo 
• Have your partner fondle your breasts and butthole at the same time 
• Using sex toys in conjunction with manual stimulation 
• Increase your fitness by working out, quitting smoking, and watching what you eat 

Conclusion

There is no mystery to the clitoris and women's orgasms, only misconceptions. With that said, thanks to its over 10,000 nerve endings, it is a source of remarkable pleasure for people with vaginas. Thankfully, after reading this guide, you should have more idea about the clitoris and how to stimulate it for self-pleasure and to pleasure others. The most important part to remember is that good stimulation, whether manual or oral, does not come naturally, but requires a lot of patience and practice. Keep going for it and you will be sure to become quickly and masterfully acquainted with the clitoris, making yourself and any female partner you have happy. 

Resources:

1. National Institute of Health, 2024, Women’s Experiences of Different Types of Orgasms—A Call for Pleasure Literacy?
2. OHSU, 2022, Pleasure-producing human clitoris has more than 10,000 nerve fibers
3. National Institute of Health, 2005, CLITORAL ANATOMY IN NULLIPAROUS, HEALTHY, PREMENOPAUSAL VOLUNTEERS USING UNENHANCED MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING