Vegetables resembling penises in all kinds of shapes and sizes — © Love Matters | Rita Lino

Penis shapes and sizes

Penises come in all shapes and sizes. And they all look different: straight, curved, long, thick, thin, circumcised, uncircumcised. One is no better than the other.

When soft, a penis is usually between 6 and 13 centimetres long. An erect one is usually somewhere between 7 and 17 centimetres long. The average erect penis is about 12 centimetres. Smaller penises grow more in size when they become erect compared to large penises.

Some boys and men joke a lot about the size of their penis or other people’s penises. It’s often because they feel insecure, or because they want to look tough, or they want to make up for lack of knowledge.

If you want to measure your penis, do it when it’s erect, on the top side – the side closest to your belly.

Bananas in different sizes and shapes arranged vertically

Does size matter?

If you have a bigger penis, it doesn’t make you a better lover, and it doesn’t mean you’ll have better sex.

Girls or women find foreplay, affection and relationship satisfaction as important as their partner’s penis size.

Related: Do Women Prefer Big Penises?

Do condoms come in different sizes?

Yes. When you buy condoms, it’s important to find ones that fit you. Most condoms are made to fit average erect penis sizes (4.7 to 5.9 inches/12 to 17centimetres).

Different condoms in different shapes and sizes

Do people from some ethnic groups have larger penises than others?

There is no conclusive evidence to prove that certain ethnic groups have larger penises than others.

However, some organisations such as the World Health Organization’s have reported slight ethnic differences in average erect penis size that men of:

African descent have slightly longer and wider penises
European descent have medium-sized penises
Asian descent have slightly narrower and shorter penises

Can you tell the length of someone’s penis by the size of his hands or feet?

No. There is no relationship between having a bigger shoe size or larger hands and having a larger penis.

Related: What determines penis size?

Can you make a penis bigger in length or width?

There are no non-surgical techniques that can permanently make a penis bigger.

Other penis enlargement products like pills, weights, and stretching devices don’t usually work in the long term. At worst they can be very dangerous to your health.

Related: Does Penis Enlargement Work?

What is a micropenis?

A micropenis is a penis that measures less than 2.75 inches/7centimetres in length when erect. It happens if the level of the male hormone testosterone is too low when the baby is developing in the womb. Most boys and men who are worried they have a micropenis and who see a doctor don’t actually have the condition.

Most often, the penis looks smaller than it really is because it’s hidden by fat around the genitals. In other cases, if a boy has not reached puberty just yet, his penis may appear smaller compared to his body size. This is not something to worry about, because once puberty starts, the penis will also grow in length and width.