If you haven’t completed the left-handed test yet, you can use this link to go to the survey form (it contains 12 Left/Right questions and will only take you a minute to complete).
This page gives our analysis of the surveys completed so far. By 27 May 2015 34,271 people had completed the survey and they declared their handedness as:
| Do you consider yourself to be left or right handed? | ||
| Left | 25,317 | 74% |
| Right | 3,127 | 9% |
| Both | 5,398 | 16% |
| Not answered | 433 | 1% |
| Total | 34,271 | 100% |
Of the people that consider themselves to be left-handed this is the percentage that answered each question “Left”:
| Question | % Left |
| Writing hand (we assume that the other 3% of people who consider themselves left-handed but said they write right-handed were forced to change their writing hand when they were young and have not changed it back) |
97% |
| Cutting with scissors (a lot of people mentioned that they use scissors right-handed because that was all that used to be available and they have never changed) |
70% |
| Holding a bat (one handed) | 78% |
| Eating with a spoon | 94% |
| Holding a toothbrush | 92% |
| Brushing hair | 89% |
| Eye (using a telescope) | 74% |
| Ear (using a telephone) (some people mentioned that they hold the phone to their right ear to leave their left hand free for taking notes. LHC’s Keith just gets in a tangle, holding the phone to his left ear with his right hand so he can still write with his left!) |
79% |
| Foot (kicking a ball) | 64% |
| Folding arms, which is on top | 68% |
| Clapping, which hand is on top | 81% |
| Clasping hands behind back, which hand is doing the holding | 77% |
| Throwing a ball | 77% |
| Turning the pages of a book | 74% |
| Using a bat or club two-handed (hand on bottom) (this question cause a lot of confusion with people thinking about “bottom” differently if they were holding the bat or club down, e.g. cricket or golf, or up for e.g. baseball. What we meant was the hand on the bottom being the one nearest the hitting end of the bat. If this is your left, you will be facing to your right looking over your right shoulder to see the ball coming) |
65% |
The percentage of people who consider themselves left-handed who were graded at each of our levels were:
| Grading | % of total |
| Seriously Left-Handed (>90% score) | 46% |
| Mainly left-handed (60-90% score) | 44% |
| Left but mixed-handed (40-60% score) | 7% |
| Probably a Right-Hander! (0-40%) | 3% |
The overall average score for people who consider themselves left-handed was 83%
And the number of people who scored 100% was 3,710 (15% of all the left-handers)
Of the 5,398 people who consider themselves “Both handed”, 60% use their left hand to write, 30% to cut with scissors and 67% used a phone on their left ear. Their overall weighted score was 55%.
Please add your own comments or interpretations as comments at the bottom of this page.
If you haven’t completed the left-handed test yourself yet, you can use this link to go to the survey form
i don’t think this survey is quite accurate for me, it should have been a higher percentage. i brake the car with my left foot , hold phone and write on left side, i only cut with scissors with right hand because back in the day, you could only use right handed scissors! i’m probably too left!
I know I’m pretty much ambidextrous – and the results from this test showed that – but I was secretly hoping to me farther up on the right side of things. (It should go without saying that by “right” I of course mean “left.”)
Either way, I’m looking forward to celebrating the 13th with all my friends.
Really interesting test. I agree with others comments about using the right ear/hand when on the phone in order to free up the left hand to write/dial. Probably the same reasoning for sucking my right thumb as a small child. The test showed that I am 62% left-handed, but would more questions have increased this as I sew, crochet, iron (other domestic chores are available!) etc left-handed? I guess the list of activities is endless.
I am 98% left handed….the only things I do right handed are bat & golf.
At least I use my right brain.
I had some problem filling this survey. I think there should be an option of “BOTH”. I do lots of things with my left hand and right hand EQUALLY in different times. I also switch hands during some tasks, like when I brush my hair- I always use both hands (brushing with my right and then left…) It wasn’t so easy to answer.
Anyway, I’ve got 58%. Maybe being mixed handed according to this survey made it quite confusing. 🙂
Loved this. I’m 91% left handed. Interesting!!!
I am the only lefty in my family. Therefore, most of the things that you need to be taught by your parents like holding a bat were taught to me in a right handed fashion. Due to lack of choice, I feel my 78% is a little skewed.
A couple of quibbles: 1) When an American holds a bat he places his dominant hand ON TOP. 2) In my own case, when I fold my arms, because I’m a lefty I move my left arm into position first, and the right winds up on top by default.
All in all, then, I suspect I’m even more “seriously” left-handed than my test result would suggest.
I’m with you! Those were the only 2 I answered right handeed, and for the exact same reasons.
As an American, I agree with Terence regarding baseball rather than cricket.
My handedness tends to be RIGHT for GROSS motor skills (throwing; batting) but LEFT for FINE motor skills (writing; shooting a rifle).
I scored 70% on the test, which I believe is approximately correct for me.
YES! Welcome to my world! I am called”Seriously”Lefteed and when I fold arms ,Lefty is on the Bottom!….THX!
That’s true, but the way they worded the question was with the bat pointed to the ground, so your dominant would be on the bottom.
Not necessarily. I came out 90% but I have always batted right handed. I don’t remember if that was the way my father taught me or I did it naturally
i am 90% left handed, although i think i am 100% a lefty
I had the exact same results as Terence. When I reached for my “bat” er, actually in my case it was an umbrella as I didn’t have a bat handy, (lol) I grabbed it w/my left hand first & used my right to guide it on top, or by the test’s definition on bottom. Lol.
Similarly, when I went to fold my arms in front of me, I naturally want to move my left arm into place first, causing my right arm to then be placed on top.
Also, like Kay I hold the phone with my right hand in order to keep my left hand free as often times, I am multi-tasking, like so many of us do for work or otherwise and may need to write something down. Very interesting & fun activity though & a great way to celebrate Left Hander’s Day! =D
I do everything left-handed and when I fold my arms, my left arm is on top; it’s the natural thing to do for a lefty.
This was interesting, hadn’t thought about some of the ways of doing things. Interested to know if the hand you hold the phone with takes into consideration the fact that you may need your other hand to write with while on the phone! This is certainly the case with me, and when you do it all day at work, you don’t change when you get home, even if you don’t take notes.
I already receive the newsletters, so I said no to that, but I hope I will still get one!
I hold a telephone to my right ear because I dial/push buttons with my left hand, and need my left hand free to write with. Holding the phone to your left ear with your right hand would be convoluted!
Also, holding a bat/ hockey stick/ golf club with two hands – if you’re turning to the right, it’s bound to be the right hand on the bottom, isn’t it? Otherwise would be very uncomfortable and render hitting anything almost impossible, I’d have thought.
Telescope question also depends more on eyesight than handed ness – if you’re astigmatic like me ( left eye) then you use your right eye more.
Just some thoughts that might have bearing on scores…
I agree totally with Elaine Jamieson (above) I do the very same. And I am so lefty – both hand and foot.. Loved the test..
Elaine, not necessarily with the eyesight. I have 20/400 vision in my left eye and astigmatism, and 20/80 in my right — but my left eye is very dominant anyway. I also do the awkward shoulder shrug to the left ear to use my left hand to write when I’m on the phone. I’m a 96 percenter, just lug around the right side of my body because it’s permanently connected to the useful part.
You’re both right Elaine / Alison. Left handedness in sport is tied up with left eyed-ness.
I’m left eyed therefore when hitting a ball with a two handed bat (cricket, golf whatever) I use my left hand on top as this is the hand that gives direction to the shot using my left eye. The right hand just gives the power behind the shot.
Similarly when playing cricket I bowl right handed but throw left handed. In cricket if you are a right handed bowler the left arm gives the direction and the right hand follows through with left eye in control. When throwing however, I use my left hand and left eye as with one handed bat games I.e. Tennis, badminton etc.
Hope this helps.
Yes you are right, but the question was if you point the bat, golf club down then your left hand would be on the bottom and you will be looking over your right shoulder. Its a poorly worded question.
Shoot lefty since 10 years old, but changed to right at age 70 due to left eye floaters.
I’m not sure how accurate this questionnaire is in deciding degree of handedness. I use my right eye because of poor eyesight in my left, I have never seen any research indicating that quality of eyesight is related to handedness. Hearing could similarly have an affect on results. I write backwards and find it easier to use a left handed ruler than a right handed one. At school I used a right handed ruler but measured from right to left by counting the units and disregarding what was written on the ruler.
i’m probably too left sided! i brake the car with left foot, use phone and write on left side only, i think the persentages were way off for me, i only cut with right handed scissors because back in the day, there were only right handed scissors!
I, too am all left-handed, but use my right eye for scopes, etc, simply because I can only wink my left eye. Could it be because that eye has always been more near-sighted as well and I can see distances better with the right?
Interesting test! I just realize that I am not absolutely left handed (75%). No wonder, it feels weird when I plays badminton with my left hand and when I plays right handed guitar. All of my equipments should be modified/changed before use otherwise I will carelessly hurt myself. Happy lefthander day.