Erogenous zones are the spots on our bodies that, when touched, elicit feelings of sexual arousal or pleasure. Discovering where these are, and how to stimulate them, is the key to enhancing your sexual experiences.
Common Erogenous Zones & How To Stimulate Them
Common erogenous zones are the ones most of us are aware of. These are the zones that have high pleasure ratings for most people.
The basis for these rankings comes from a study on intimate touch conducted in 2013. In the study, 793 participants rated the pleasure of certain body parts on a scale of 1-10. With 1 being least pleasurable and 10 being most pleasurable.[1]
This section covers the spots that rated an average of 5 or above. With the highest rating being first.
Zones for People with Vaginas
- Clit (9.17)
The clit is an area rich with nerve endings. It ranks the highest on the pleasure scale for many.
To stimulate the clit massage or stroke it with rhythmic, consistent motions.
When touching the clit, it’s important to consider the desired type of stimulation. Direct or indirect. For some, direct touch can be too stimulating. Resulting in discomfort as opposed to pleasure.
- Vagina (8.40)
People rank the vagina as the second most pleasurable area of the body. When properly touched, it can be the source of intense sexual pleasure.
When trying to pleasure the vagina, it has to be aroused first. Once it is, stroking the anterior wall of it results in an intense, erotic sensation.
Much like with the clit, rhythmic stroking motions are the most effective way to stimulate it.
- Back of Neck (6.20)
The back of the neck is an incredibly sensitive spot because of its high concentration of nerve endings.[2]
Gently stroking your fingers across it, kissing or biting it will all produce various sensations of pleasure. Softly blowing warm or cool breaths close to the neck is also an effective way to create intense feelings of ecstasy.
- Ears (5.06)
The ears are full of sensory receptors that make them sensitive to touch, pressure, temperature, and sound.[3]
Much like the back of the neck, a little goes a long way. Keep the touching gentle and light at first. Start by kissing, biting, stroking the outer skin of the ear. The lobe is a popular spot to start with.
Quietly whispering in the ear can also be done to create intense sensation.
Note: Be cautious in this area. The ears are sensitive, and too much pressure or loud noises can damage them.
Zones for People with Penises
People with penises seem to have the same amount of pleasure spots as those with vaginas, but experience less sensitivity overall on these spots.[1]
For instance, only two body spots received a ranking above 7 from those with penises. Those with vaginas rated 6 spots above 7.
The causes of these differences are unknown.
Some theories think it could be hormones, others think it could be conditioning.
- Penis (9.00)
Of the 2 most pleasurable spots, the penis ranks #1. On average, participants ranked it a 9 out of 10 on the pleasure scale.
To pleasure the penis, stroke the length of the shaft, paying extra attention to the head of the penis, where the nerves are the most concentrated and sensitive.
- Testicles (6.50)
The testicles are sensitive to most things, especially touch. Making them a pleasure spot for many with them.
To stimulate the testicles, carefully fondle them. Take them in your hand and massage, squeeze and carefully pull them. Make sure you are being gentle!
Zones Among the Sexes
In the study, there were a few parts of the body that ranked high regardless of sex. Those parts were the mouth, neck and inner thighs.
- Mouth/Lips (V*: 7.91 P**: 7.51)
For people with penises, the mouth and lips were the 2nd highest rated pleasure spot. It was the 3rd for those with vaginas.
To incorporate the mouth in erotic play, try moaning close to each other’s lips, letting them barely brush past each other. Or tracing your fingers lightly across the bottom.
Then, of course, there are the more common ways to do it, such as kissing, licking or biting them.
- Nape of Neck (V:7.51 P: 5.65)
The nape of the neck is sensitive for most people. Stimulate it the same way you would stimulate the back of the neck.
Gently stroke, kiss, lick or caress it. Tiptoe your fingers across the area or rub them sensually back and forth to create a teasing sensation.
- Inner Thighs (V:6.71 P: 5.84)
It may come as a surprise to some, but the inner thighs ranked in the top 5 for those with penises but not for those with vaginas. Regardless, this spot is sensitive to all sexes.
Pleasure the inner thighs by stroking, kissing, licking or biting them. The roughness will depend on the recipient.
*V = people with vaginas
**P = people with penises
How Do You Find Erogenous Zones?
Experiment, experiment, experiment! When looking for your erogenous zones, try new things. Keep an open mind and don’t let your sex dictate what you try.
Try anything you’re interested in and see how it feels because pleasure has no boundaries.
Don’t limit yourself to common zones either. Low rated pleasure spots like the back of the knees[4] or feet[1] cause extreme levels of excitement for some.
And, if you don’t like what you tried. Move on and try something new!
Final Thoughts
Some say the entire body can be an erogenous zone. But, for most, that’s just not the case. Erogenous zones are just that, zones. And, everyone’s are different, and no two people experience them the same.
So get creative, and have fun discovering your pleasure.
Citations
- Turnbull, Oliver H., et al. “Reports of Intimate Touch: Erogenous Zones and Somatosensory Cortical Organization.” Cortex; a Journal Devoted to the Study of the Nervous System and Behavior, vol. 53, no. 1-9, 1 Apr. 2014, pp. 146–154, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23993282/ , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2013.07.010. Accessed 22 June 2020.
- Waxenbaum, Joshua A., et al. “Anatomy, Head and Neck, Cervical Nerves.” PubMed, StatPearls Publishing, 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538136/.
- PMC, Europe. “Europe PMC.” Europepmc.org, 14 Aug. 2023, europepmc.org/article/NBK/nbk539861.
- James, Kelly. “Sexual Pleasure.” Routledge EBooks, 12 Mar. 2007, pp. 49–55, https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203963081-8 . Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
