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
Even you write:
“We assume that the 39 people who consider themselves left-handed but write right-handed were forced to change their writing hand when they were young and have not changed it back” ….
and you even know, that this couldn’t change their genetically laterality, the test gives a stupid answer in that case, as if I couldn’t be a 100% lefthander! The violence, the shame and the blame I had to handle with when I was young did not make me to a more or less write-handed person, I resisted! To change the writing hand really back is not so easy, when you are adult. But when I write on a blackboard, for example, I actually use my left hand!
I scored 96% on the quiz, although I feel I am 100% left-handed. I have heard that we are just 10% of the population. Does anyone know if this figure is correct? At any rate, my sister used to say, “Poor Elizabeth, she’s left-handed”, as though I had 2 heads. I somehow managed to get through seven-and-a-half decades in spite of this. Some things are aggravating, such as having to drag the cord though the bottles on the bathroom counter and knocking them all over when drying my hair, as the outlet is on the right. In spite of the annoyances, I am proud to be left-handed, and always notice when someone else is. I feel we should all stick together.
I scored 100% on the test. I took left handed sissies and turned them over and cut that way until I was 56. Two years ago I ordered left handed scissors from your site. I could not believe the difference it has made for me. I bought a pair for my daughter and will order another pair for my little grand daughter. I had no idea how easy it was to cut with them. Thank you for your site! I love it!!
I got 100% left handed but wasn’t asked which hand I hold the T.V. remote with- its the right hand!
I am so proud of being e leftie, we are all so special, over the years we have had to put up with a lot and always come out smiling. Yes left handed goods are far too expensive. Lovely to read all the comments.
Some of the things I use my right hand for were as a result of being taught or shown using this hand. For example using a mouse on a computer, playing golf, batting [for cricket], playing golf and even ten pin bowling. Even when answering the phone I copied my right handed parents.I am also ambidextrous with regards to drinking from a cup, brushing my hair and teeth. On the other hand I always put on my left sock and left shoe on first [possibly another survey question] and I usually use my left foot to commence walking.
Has anyone noticed that there are very few left handed violin, and other string players, in a full orchestra!
I got 86%. Would have probably been higher but as you grow up there are certain things you learn to do right handed as it is the accepted way. As to the bat question still haven’t managed to learn to play golf and rounders as I still haven’t worked out which way is easiest! As a right eye dominant leftie I use my right eye more than the left ie for the telescope and the phone to my right ear so I can take notes. I also use my right hand to turn the pages of a book unless I am flicking through a magazine in which case I often start at the back and work to the front using my left hand!
I missed left-hander’s day! Does that make me a bit of a traitor?
Just a couple of comments about the survey: I hold a cricket bat/hockey stick right-handed because a) I was taught by right-handers and b) our school had no left-handed hockey sticks (I remember very well the first day I held one. Our game’s mistress was very quick to correct me!).
An option for ‘both’ would have been useful, as I both kick a ball and use scissors (depending on the scissors available) with my left and right feet/hands.
And lastly, I hadn’t considered ears or eyes to be connected with ‘handedness’ before, but I do find that I don’t take in information well through my right ear (that must be the one it goes out through!). Interesting.
Anyway, many thanks for a fun and thought-provoking test.
I always smile when waiters get confused because i just switched my knife and fork.
My baby’s were never in danger of getting a weirdshaped head ( which can happen if they want to lie on just one side of their head when newborn). A lefthanded mom and a righthanded dad
I remember one of parents explaining why I wanted another person’s seat at a resturant (d/t my being left-handed).
I am a proud lefty! I was in the bank a few days ago and the teller wrote a ” backwards ” check mark! I immediately felt such a strong kinship! Lol