Cunnilingus art is a sexual activity where oral-vulva or oral-vaginal sex happens, which can be quite pleasurable for people with vaginas. An oral sex activity can give you, together with your partner, a safe space to explore your bodies, your needs, and establish trust and intimacy between the both of you.
However, before diving in, it’s also best to be mindful of doing oral sex in a safe and consensual way. There was a study made by the National Library of Medicine (NIH), resulting in a staggering number of men (85.4%) and women (83.2%)–who had already performed oral sex on their partners at some point in their relationship.
Concluding from these results, you’ll never go wrong with keeping things safe before eating your partner. Moving on, you can learn here the best techniques, pro tips, ideas to make it safe, and the best sexual positions that you can apply before doing this activity.
What is Cunnilingus?
To put it simply, cunnilingus is an act of oral sex–similar to a blowjob on the opposite sex–to provide pleasure by stimulating the pussy using the lips and tongue.
You might have heard it in many terms–from eating out, clam diving, lip reading, licking the bean, going down, and more. It basically means that by sucking, nibbling, flicking and gentle biting, it gives people the best and various sensations possible to achieve an orgasm without penetration.
Furthermore, when going down on your partner, don’t forget to include some tongue action. If you’re ready to go downtown, next, you’ll find how to get things going and do it successfully.
The Best Cunnilingus Techniques for a Toe-Curling Orgasm

You might see cunnilingus as a one-size-fits-all approach, but the truth is, most people like to give and receive pleasure in different ways. The first step is to always ask your partner how they want to receive it, and take note of their reactions when stimulating the areas that feel good.
Here’s a quick rundown of the basic techniques, to help step up your game, especially when you’re planning to go down on your partner for the first time.
Set the Mood and Atmosphere
This sexual activity is all about creating trust and intimacy between partners. It’s all about making the receiving partner feel good, even before heading to the bedroom.
To set the mood, you can always make things sensual by lighting some scented candles, and prepare your most comfortable sheets, to get the vibes going.
Position Yourselves Comfortably
If you’re new to giving cunnilingus, you can make your partner lie comfortably on their back on a bed or couch, while you can go on your knees to easily access their genitals.
It can also help to slide some pillows under your partner’s lower back or butt to comfortably angle them upwards.
Start Slow
If you’re still a beginner, you might not want to go straight down and eat that vulva. The clitoris is a highly sensitive area, so be careful in applying immediate and too much tongue pressure.
Try to work your way down there, and it’s always good to take your time. You can also incorporate some foreplay by stimulating their non-genital areas–and doing this will guarantee that they’ll appreciate you more.
A Gradual Increase in Speed
So, if the both of you are ready to progress to the vulva, you can begin by widening your tongue, and start with soft and gentle movements. You can create circles around the clitoris using the tip of your tongue, and watch your partner’s reaction.
By being aware of their physical and verbal cues, you’ll get an idea if you’re doing things the right way. Once you’ve found your momentum, you can increase the pressure and speed of your movements, especially if they appear like they’re asking for more.
Use Your Hands
Since your mouth is doing all the work, your hands can help stimulate the other pleasurable parts of their bodies, to offer them more stimulation during oral sex.
There’s a few ways to do this, and one is putting your palm against the clit while you insert your tongue in their vagina. You can also insert your finger internally, about two to three inches deep, and curve your fingers towards their belly button to find their G-spot.
Talk Dirty
Keep in mind that during cunnilingus, your partner can feel vulnerable, so it's best to make them feel comfortable, and tell them how good they taste, feel, and look. Doing this can also turn them on, and let them know how much you want them.
If you or your partner is feeling nervous, you can use dirty talk as a way to check how they feel and take the pressure out of their head. Talking dirty with your partner is a light way of checking how they’re doing, and talking while their clit is in your mouth can be sexy.
How To Properly Receive Cunnilingus from Your Partner

If you’re the receiving partner, receiving oral sex can be a vulnerable yet amazing experience. Do these to elevate the experience:
Clean Your Bean
For hygienic reasons, you can always clean your vulva using a mild soap and water, but remember to wash the external parts of the genitals only. As stated by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, a healthy vagina doesn’t need douching, as washing it out can disrupt the natural bacteria around it.
It can even cause some injuries like micro tears that can increase your risk for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) and Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD). Your pussy is a self-cleaning body part that does the entire work for itself.
Communicate and Concentrate
Our minds play a huge role in sex, so if your mind wanders, you can try concentrating on your breathing and lie comfortably on your back. Let go of the tension as much as possible, and communicate with your partner what feels good in real-time, to help your partner improve continuously.
Always Practice the Aftercare
After receiving a cunnilingus from your partner, it’s best to pee after the activity to flush the pathogens that you might get from the contact, out of your system.
You might also want to enjoy some sweet drinks with your partner, or even cuddle while giving them some feedback, for an improved experience next time around.
Do It Safely
Because of the mouth and genital contact, cunnilingus opens doors for a possibility of infection transfer between two people–just like any other oral and sexual contact.
Poor oral health, and genital or mouth sores, can put someone at risk of contracting diseases that can be transmitted sexually, just like the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
If your mouth has bleeding gums, cuts, or open sores, please prevent doing this activity and get yourself checked first. Moreover, if your partner has genital lesions, it’s best to know if they’re positive for an STD.
You can always prevent this from happening and keep things hygienic by using a dental dam when doing this activity. Also, ask the advice of your healthcare provider to address these issues, if ever.
The Pro Tips
For a safer orgasm-inducing tongue-twisting activity, you can consider these tips to make your way as a master of oral play.
- Prepare Your Mouth: The giving partner should make sure that their mouth is spotlessly clean, to prevent the receiving partner from getting any vaginal infections. Brushing the teeth and gargling with mouthwash is often enough to keep any infection transfer at bay.
- Use Lube: The taste of the vagina can be an acquired taste for some people. If you don’t find it very appealing at first, a flavored lube is your best friend. Other than giving you a more unique taste, lubes also add a lubricating sensation to make the pussy more slippery. You can also use warm or cooling lubes for added sensation during play.
- Use Sex Toys: A variety of sex toys can mimic the sucking and fingering sensations that a human mouth can give. You can use the help of a vibrator, and insert it in their vagina while you lick their clitoris. If you need a break from licking, a clit sucker has a suction mode that can offer your partner a sucking sensation, like from real lips.
- Experiment: The tried and tested techniques from experts are a good place to start, but it’s also advisable to try new things to keep your intimacy and relationship fresh. By incorporating new positions and new sex toys, it can guarantee to give your partner a leg-shaking ecstasy in the bedroom.
Best Cunnilingus Positions for Comfort and Intimacy
After learning the best cunnilingus techniques and tips to change your game, you can try these positions to add more spice when eating your partner.
The Hawt Prisoner
During this position, a pair of BDSM restrainers is needed. You can have your partner lie on a comfortable surface, after tying their wrists behind their knees. Once the receiving partner is all tied up, the giving partner can suck them to their heart's content.
This works best for couples who want to satisfy their kinks while doing oral sex.
The Good Old Doggy
This next position is a variation of the Doggy Position. To do this, have your partner position themself on their knees, and bend over to lick them from the back.
This fun position works best if you want to put your finger in their anus while sucking them.
All Hail the Queen
For this position, it gives the receiving partner more control by sitting on the giving partner’s face. If a soft surface isn’t available, you can adapt it as a standing cunnilingus position, so you can do it anywhere, even in a discreet area outside. All the receiving partner has to do is stand against a wall, while the giving partner kneels to eat their partner.
The giving partner can also use their hands to touch those buns, if they want to eat their partner much deeper.
6-Ohh-9
Do you want to achieve orgasm together with your partner through oral sex? The classic 69 position, where you and your partner access each other’s genitals, lets you perform oral sex with each other.
During this position, you can please each other at the same time, to take things to the edge.
FAQs
What does cunnilingus feel like for the receiver?
Cunnilingus is a wet, warm, and soft feeling–that’s both pleasurable and arousing, because the sensitive parts like the clitoris and vagina are stimulated to reach an orgasm.
Is cunnilingus a taboo in some cultures?
The culture and background where we’re raised will always influence our personal beliefs, along with our attitude towards sex. However, cunnilingus is now widely practiced in many societies.
Can it feel pleasurable for the giver too?
Cunnilingus feels pleasurable for the giving partner as well, because it gives them more control, and makes them feel more connected to their partners.