How to Wiggle Your Ears

We all have muscles that will move our ears around a little bit. The general consensus is that the ability to wiggle your ears is thanks to one gene, which has been turned off for some people, though, most of us don't naturally know how to wiggle our ears voluntarily, even if we had the gene. Just as animals perk up their ears, humans can, too, and it is possible to learn how.

Steps   [edit]

  1. Your ear-wiggling muscles.
    Your ear-wiggling muscles.
    Know what you're after. Your ear-wiggling muscles are the ones above and behind your ears. They will move your ears upwards and backwards when you tense them. Specifically, they are the auricularis superior and the auricularis posterior. If you can't wiggle your ears, at least you can impress your friends with the fancy Latin names for the muscles.
  2. Try flexing those muscles. Since you may never have used them before, you will have to experiment to teach your brain which muscles they are and how to tell them to go.
  3. Try putting a finger right behind your ear.
    Try putting a finger right behind your ear.
    Look in a mirror or feel your ears as you try to flex your ear-wiggling muscles. It may feel strange at first, and the motion is pretty subtle. Learning how to wiggle your ears may be a matter of recognizing something that you already do (although slightly), and a mirror will tell you when you've got it right. Place a finger as shown in the photo to help you focus on the right muscles.

    • You may spend a lot of time raising your eyebrows or opening and closing your mouth. That's okay. In fact, many people unintentionally move their ears when they raise their eyebrows. Just as it is hard to raise only your ring finger, the ear-wiggling muscles often operate with other muscles nearby.
    • Take a lesson from your cat.
      Take a lesson from your cat.
      Try looking very surprised or interested, with your mouth open and your eyebrows raised. Just as animals perk up their ears when they want to be alert, you might, too, without even realizing it.
    • If your scalp or hair moves, especially when you raise your eyebrows, try doing that some more, and watch your ears. You are on the right track.
  4. Isolate your ear-wiggling muscles. You may be able to wiggle your ears, but it won't be that impressive if you have to raise your eyebrows or look awfully surprised every time. You may not be able to move your ears without moving your scalp, but you should be able to learn to move them without moving your eyebrows. Practice wiggling your ears without moving any other parts of your face.
  5. Exercise. Even when you find your ear-wiggling muscles, your ears will not move far, especially not at first. You have probably gone your whole life without using them, so they might be a little out of shape. Practice regularly and your ear-wiggling will grow stronger and more pronounced.


Tips   [edit]

  • Approximately twice as many men than women can wiggle their ears.
  • Try to move one ear only. It is more difficult to move two at a time as it takes different muscles.
  • While looking in a mirror, see if your ears move when you smile... often times when a person smiles their ears raise, or move, along with the smile. This may be a good starting point to try to isolate those muscles.


Warnings   [edit]

  • Some people may find this process difficult or unnatural. If it just doesn't work for you, don't worry too much. It's not an especially valuable skill.
  • Practice alone. You'll certainly spend some time looking silly before you get it right.