# Gender Guesser **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 27, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476 "2012-06-27T16:38:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/1 "2012-06-27T16:38:45Z")
In one of the myriad umkay threads somebody posted a link to the [Gender Guesser](http://www.hackerfactor.com/GenderGuesser.php) and I thought this might be fun. I submitted a piece of writing consisting of 1154 words and got back: \*Genre: Informal Female = 1658 Male = 2183 Difference = 525; 56.83% Verdict: Weak MALE Weak emphasis could indicate European. Genre: Formal Female = 1436 Male = 1629 Difference = 193; 53.14% Verdict: Weak MALE Weak emphasis could indicate European.\* Which is not entirely surprising to me; I’ve been told I write like a man before. I’m not really sure why, or what it means, but it’s interesting. What’s more amusing is that it thinks I am European! Well, I’ve been through the airports in Europe a couple of times…Oh! And once I even had to stay overnight in London for a missed flight, so technically I have touched ground. Try it and see what it categorizes you as! ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/2 "2012-06-27T16:52:54Z")
I submitted two pieces. The first is a column that I wrote this week. This is more representative of my informal style. The results were: Genre: Informal Female = 1748 Male = 1608 Difference = -140; 47.91% Verdict: Weak FEMALE Weak emphasis could indicate European. Genre: Formal Female = 1180 Male = 1202 Difference = 22; 50.46% Verdict: Weak MALE Weak emphasis could indicate European. The second one was for a more formal piece that I wrote this week. The results were: Genre: Informal Female = 860 Male = 3573 Difference = 2713; 80.6% Verdict: MALE Genre: Formal Female = 1153 Male = 2103 Difference = 950; 64.58% Verdict: MALE Very interesting. I’m a woman, for the record. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/3 "2012-06-27T16:58:50Z")
I plugged in several bits from various fiction I’ve written, and except for one “weak FEMALE” all of them were either MALE or Weak MALE. I’m not at all surprised, really. I’ve been told many times that I write like a guy. Fun little test, though! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/4 "2012-06-27T17:07:11Z")
That site makes my vagina cry. Then again what I submitted was short and “soft” in content. I don’t think I have many long writings. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/5 "2012-06-27T17:57:13Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > That site makes my vagina cry. Verdict: STRONG FEMALE ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/6 "2012-06-27T18:09:17Z")
MALE, FEMALE, or weak MALE. I’m a guy. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/7 "2012-06-27T19:57:04Z")
I’m a guy. I submitted this: > [@](#): > > I like to drink beer, fart, and then chew on rawhide while watching football. repeated enough times to generate 420 words. The results: Total words: 420 Genre: Informal Female = 1290 Male = 0 Difference = -1290; 0% Verdict: FEMALE Genre: Formal Female = 120 Male = 60 Difference = -60; 33.33% Verdict: FEMALE I think it might not be working. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/8 "2012-06-27T20:08:13Z")
I submitted a couple of pieces I’ve done in the past year, one long, one short. FWIW, they are both written in the second person. Both came back strong male in the informal genre, but weak female in formal writing. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/9 "2012-06-27T20:16:38Z")
Genre: Informal Female = 39 Male = 326 Difference = 287; 89.31% Verdict: MALE and Genre: Formal Female = 231 Male = 478 Difference = 247; 67.41% Verdict: MALE ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/10 "2012-06-27T20:22:03Z")
You guys need to tell us if you’re male or female to start with! ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/11 "2012-06-27T20:27:43Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > I submitted a couple of pieces I’ve done in the past year, one long, one short. FWIW, they are both written in the second person. > > Both came back strong male in the informal genre, but weak female in formal writing. Interesting. > [@Anaamika](#): > > You guys need to tell us if you’re male or female to start with! _Avec les testicules, merci._ ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/12 "2012-06-27T20:42:12Z")
> [@StusBlues](#): > > _Avec les testicules, merci._ Ah! A submissive male. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/13 "2012-06-27T20:50:32Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Ah! A submissive male. 😃 Only when I’m being formal. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/14 "2012-06-27T20:51:05Z")
On a similar vein, I once wrote a script to determine gender from online usernames. As of when I’d abandoned it, it was up to about 95% accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/15 "2012-06-27T21:14:03Z")
Interesting. I submitted 3 informal emails. One came back weak male, the other two weak female. I submitted a more formal excerpt, and it came back as male. I am female, but I lived and wrote in the academic world for a long enough time for it to stick, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/16 "2012-06-27T22:21:09Z")
I submitted a “letter” I wrote some time ago, written in-character as a supervillain. > [@](#): > > Genre: Informal > Female = 1165 > Male = 1302 > Difference = 137; 52.77% > Verdict: Weak MALE > > Genre: Formal > Female = 773 > Male = 759 > Difference = -14; 49.54% > Verdict: Weak FEMALE > > Weak emphasis could indicate European. He’d be _peeved_. > [@Anaamika](#): > > You guys need to tell us if you’re male or female to start with! _\_ Male. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/17 "2012-06-27T22:28:20Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > I’m a guy. I submitted this: > > repeated enough times to generate 420 words. The results: > > Total words: 420 > > Genre: Informal > Female = 1290 > Male = 0 > Difference = -1290; 0% > Verdict: FEMALE > > Genre: Formal > Female = 120 > Male = 60 > Difference = -60; 33.33% > Verdict: FEMALE > > I think it might not be working. 🙂 I’m a male. I submitted: “I have a penis and I like having my penis in a vagina.” until it hit over a thousands words. It responded with. Genre: Informal Female = 0 Male = 960 Difference = 960; 100% Verdict: MALE and Genre: Formal Female = 384 Male = 1152 Difference = 768; 75% Verdict: MALE I think it’s working just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/18 "2012-06-27T23:14:59Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I submitted a “letter” I wrote some time ago, written in-character as a supervillain. > > He’d be _peeved_. > > _\_ Male. You need to regularly check? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/19 "2012-06-27T23:16:09Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > You need to regularly check? :eek: Hey, you never know… ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476/20 "2012-06-27T23:56:10Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > repeated enough times to generate 420 words. The results: > > I think it might not be working. 🙂 You sure it didn’t take that as nagging… (For the record, I’m a female) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-guesser/626476.md?page=2)