# Male/female anatomical differences... finger length? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 31, 2002, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-female-anatomical-differences-finger-length/145947 "2002-12-31T22:09:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-female-anatomical-differences-finger-length/145947/1 "2002-12-31T22:09:46Z")
Inspired by [this thread about female guitarists,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=153654) in which **Rider** suggests that women have longer index fingers, in proportion to their middle fingers, than do men. Can anyone provide evidence for or against? ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-female-anatomical-differences-finger-length/145947/2 "2002-12-31T22:13:28Z")
Well, as I said in that thread, I’m an exception. I’m female and my index fingers are shorter than my ring fingers. Apparently that’s supposed to mean I’m a lesbian too, which I’m not. ---
**Author:** ![Daerlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-female-anatomical-differences-finger-length/145947/3 "2002-12-31T22:58:24Z")
My index and ring fingers are the same length. Guess I’m a mutant. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![fierra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58956e/32.png) [@fierra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fierra)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-female-anatomical-differences-finger-length/145947/4 "2002-12-31T23:08:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ruadh \* > \*\*Well, as I said in that thread, I’m an exception. I’m female and my index fingers are shorter than my ring fingers. Apparently that’s supposed to mean I’m a lesbian too, which I’m not. \*\* My index finger is slightly shorter than my ring finger. I am a lesbian :). There was some discussion of this at one of the LOndopes - I’d never seen the Seinfeld show where it was discussed (he broke up with someone because she had “manhands”), so I had no idea what they were talking about at first. You may find something with a search (other than the weirdest break ups thread ;)), but I wouldn’t swear to it. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-female-anatomical-differences-finger-length/145947/5 "2003-01-01T03:02:55Z")
I started a survey on this a few months ago. Unfortunately, I can’t find it now via search. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-female-anatomical-differences-finger-length/145947/6 "2003-01-01T03:22:06Z")
I found it. [Boys and girls, look at your fingers (a poll)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?&threadid=120177) Rather than have this thread turn into another poll, let’s see if we can find any published scientific work that address the question. bibliophage moderator GQ ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-female-anatomical-differences-finger-length/145947/7 "2003-01-01T03:58:00Z")
[Digit ratio: A Pointer to Fertility, Behavior and Health (review)](http://human-nature.com/nibbs/02/manning.html) [Interview on Finger Length Research](http://psychology.berkeley.edu/directories/facultypages/breedloveinterview.html) [Finger Length Ratios and Sexual Orientation (pdf)](http://psychology.berkeley.edu/pdf/breedlove2000.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-female-anatomical-differences-finger-length/145947/8 "2003-01-01T06:31:41Z")
As if orientation wasn’t enough to worry about: [Index finger length can predict penis size](http://www.drbobmartin.com/2002k_10_18news01.html) ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-female-anatomical-differences-finger-length/145947/9 "2003-01-01T06:41:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fierra \* > \*\*My index finger is slightly shorter than my ring finger. I am a lesbian :). There was some discussion of this at one of the LOndopes - I’d never seen the Seinfeld show where it was discussed (he broke up with someone because she had “manhands”), so I had no idea what they were talking about at first. You may find something with a search (other than the weirdest break ups thread ;)), but I wouldn’t swear to it. \*\* Well, no, the “Seinfeld” episode in question doesn’t deal with the lengths of index/ring fingers. The woman Jerry’s dating doesn’t have man-hands because her index finger is longer than her ring finger, but rather because her hands are so goddamned large and…well, masculine looking, that it’s frightening. And yet another example of Jerry’s impossibly high standards. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-female-anatomical-differences-finger-length/145947/10 "2003-01-01T14:12:52Z")
Thanks, I believe my question is answered. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-female-anatomical-differences-finger-length/145947/11 "2003-01-01T14:20:13Z")
Wait, no it isn’t. I was born to two abstract artists, and all of my fingers are longer than my other fingers. What am I? Please help. /me waits for everyone to stop rolling their eyes ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-female-anatomical-differences-finger-length/145947/12 "2003-01-01T14:25:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zagadka \* > \*\*…all of my fingers are longer than my other fingers. What am I? > \*\* WAG: Incomprehensible?