The clitoris is a sexual organ located at the front of the vulva, and its primary purpose is pleasure. What most people think of as “the clit” is actually just the visible tip, called the glans, a small nub of tissue that sits at the top of the vulva where the inner labia meet. But the full structure extends well beyond what you can see, with internal portions that surround the vaginal canal and play a central role in arousal and orgasm.
Where the Clitoris Is Located
The visible part of the clitoris, the glans, sits at the uppermost point of the vulva, just above the urethral opening. It’s partially or fully covered by a fold of skin called the clitoral hood (similar to a foreskin). In some people, the glans is easily visible; in others, you may need to gently pull back the hood to see it. The glans is typically about 6.4 millimeters long and 5.1 millimeters wide on average, roughly the size of a pea, though this varies considerably from person to person.
The Full Structure Beyond the Tip
The glans is often compared to the tip of an iceberg. Behind it, a shaft called the body extends inward and then splits into two leg-like branches called crura. These crura run along either side of the vaginal canal, each averaging over 5 centimeters long. The whole structure has been compared to a wishbone: the body is the top, and the crura form the two prongs of the V shape.
Flanking the vaginal walls between the crura are two spongy structures called the vestibular bulbs. These bulbs swell with blood during arousal and can double in size. Together, the glans, body, crura, and vestibular bulbs form a complex, multiplanar organ with a broad attachment to the pubic bone and connections to surrounding tissue in the labia and mons pubis. A 2005 study by urologist Helen O’Connell, who used MRI imaging to map the clitoris in living tissue, noted that it’s impossible to accurately represent clitoral anatomy in the flat, single-plane diagrams found in most textbooks.
Why It’s So Sensitive
The clitoris is densely packed with nerve fibers, which is why even light touch on the glans can produce intense sensation. A 2024 histological study counted the nerve fibers in clitoral tissue directly and found roughly 3,137 individual nerve fibers in each half of the clitoral body alone, with about 71% of those being the type that transmit signals quickly (myelinated fibers). The crura contained around 2,917 fibers per side. This concentration of nerves in such a small area makes the glans one of the most sensitive spots on the human body.
For many people, the glans is too sensitive for direct stimulation, especially without arousal. Indirect pressure through the clitoral hood or surrounding tissue is often more comfortable.
How It Responds During Arousal
When you become sexually aroused, blood flow to the clitoral arteries increases significantly. This causes the erectile tissue in the body and crura to engorge, much like an erection in a penis. The glans swells and becomes more prominent, and the vestibular bulbs expand against the vaginal walls. The inner labia also become engorged and may change color slightly as blood fills the tissue.
This engorgement isn’t just cosmetic. The swelling of internal structures increases pressure and sensitivity around the vaginal canal, which is one reason penetration can feel more pleasurable when you’re fully aroused. The clitoris, through its internal extensions, is involved in stimulation that might seem purely vaginal.
How It Develops Before Birth
The clitoris and the penis develop from the same embryonic structure, called the genital tubercle. In the early weeks of fetal development, this tissue is identical regardless of sex. Without the influence of androgens (hormones like testosterone), the genital tubercle develops into a clitoris rather than a penis. The two organs share the same basic blueprint: both contain erectile tissue surrounded by a thick protective layer, both have a glans at the tip, and both have similar nerve pathways. The inner labia are the developmental equivalent of the tissue that fuses to form the underside of the penile shaft in males.
Normal Variation in Size and Appearance
There’s a wide range of normal when it comes to clitoral size. A meta-analysis of anatomical studies found that every part of the clitoris, from the glans to the crura to the hood, shows substantial variation between individuals. The clitoral body averages about 25 millimeters long but can be significantly shorter or longer. The crura average around 52 millimeters each. The hood length averages about 23 millimeters. Some people have a glans that’s clearly visible without retracting the hood; others have a glans that’s almost entirely concealed. None of these variations affect function or indicate a problem.
Hormonal changes throughout life can also affect size. During puberty, the clitoris grows along with other genital tissue. It can continue to change subtly with hormonal shifts from pregnancy, menopause, or hormone therapy. These changes are normal parts of how the body responds to shifting hormone levels over a lifetime.