What Is Urethral Sounding? Guide to Penis Sounds

Last Updated on 9 September, 2025 by Cara Sutra

Your Beginner’s Guide To Urethral Sounding by Ruffled Sheets

You want me to stick that, a long metal spike, in… where? That’s what most people think when they’re told about sounding. Or, to be more descriptive, urethral sounding, the act of stimulating the inside of the urethra with long, thin implements. It may ‘sound’ scary (sorry), but it really isn’t. In fact, it’s a lot of fun and immensely pleasurable.

So what’s the attraction with urethral sounding? Why would anyone want to slide something into their urethra? They’re two of the most common questions I’m asked most about it. Unfortunately, it’s one of those things that you have to experience to understand. It’s not really a sensation you can imagine. It’s also not something you can experiment with, without the correct implements. If you’re curious about anal play, you can start by using your fingers. Curious about impact play? You can use your hands. Curious about urethral sounds? Unfortunately, you need to buy the equipment. It’s not like you can substitute a sound for something else. Of course, we’ve all heard of all kinds of things being slipped into the urethra. Knitting needles, stiletto heels, ballpoint pens… All monumentally bad ideas. Sounds aren’t expensive. If you’re curious, do yourself a favour and buy one. But why would you? Let me try and answer that next.

Aside from the two questions above, possibly the most common I’m asked is “Does it hurt?”. The short answer is: No. But let me give a more detailed explanation. Sounding has never hurt me. Not even in the slightest. There’s also no reason why it will hurt you, too. But more than that, it won’t just “not hurt”, it’ll feel amazing! Sounding can be done by anyone, but I’m going to write about it from a male perspective, as that’s the only way I can. So forgive me if, from now on, this is a bit penis-centric. For me, urethral sounding isn’t just slightly pleasurable. It’s wonderful. It’s intense, yes. But in an amazing way. To me, sounding feels like a long, slow orgasm, that only ends when you stop stimulation.

Hopefully now, you’ll be interested in giving it a try or, at least, knowing a little more about it. So I’ll go through the basics of what you need to know and to take into account before you start.

The number one rule with, well with anything really, but this especially, is “safety first”. Please don’t think about cutting corners or using sub standard equipment. I said it doesn’t hurt, and it shouldn’t, but the urethra is still rather delicate and if you don’t take care, you could injure yourself. So please take safety seriously.

1. Use proper urethral sounds. Penis plugs are ok too, although not usually as long, so won’t be as pleasurable. But the rule here is to only use things designed to be inserted into the urethra. Please don’t scrimp. Buy sounds made from surgical steel from a trusted source or online shop. Don’t be tempted to use a cotton bud or anything like that. You’ll only regret it.
2. Use plenty of lube. I use Surgilube, but there are other products like Very Deep, which are specifically designed for urethral play. Cover the sound in lube first and also apply a little lube to the urethra, directly. If it ever feels like there’s too much friction, gently remove the sound, add more lube and start again.
3. Start slow. You should never force anything into your urethra. I use gravity at the most when urethral sounding. Most of the time, I go even slower. I gently allow the sound to slide in. The only time you apply force is when you (gently) pull it out.
4. Don’t go too big or too small. I doubt many of you would attempt to use anything too big, but too small can also cause issues. A urethral sound of about 6 or 7mm thick should be about right. Too big and it’ll just never go in. Too small and you’re liable to poke yourself with the end, which would not be pleasant. The ideal size is approximately the same width as your urethra, but with a little room for lube.
5. Don’t masturbate furiously whilst urethral sounding. Whilst it will be very tempting to stroke to orgasm at the same time, be very careful. Slow, delicate strokes are fine, but fast, harsh movements could be dangerous.
6. Don’t worry if you’re hard or not, or if you stay hard or not. Sounding is possible, and indeed pleasurable, with both erect and flaccid penises. Urethral stimulation can sometimes make you lose an erection if you have one and sometimes give you an erection if you start when soft. It will be pleasurable either way. Just relax and enjoy the sensations.

So, now you know the basics, you can start. Make sure you’re comfortable & relaxed and have everything you need around you. I usually like to sound either sitting down on a chair, or laying on the bed. I’m usually on a towel and have another handy, along with my sounds and lube. I usually start when erect, as it’s a little easier to guide the sound in, but it’s not essential. If you are struggling to maintain an erection, you’ll still be fine. Once you’re ready, lube up the sound (and the end of your penis) and slowly slide the tip in. Once in, keep hold of both the sound and your penis, then slowly allow gravity to pull the sound deeper. Once you’re at the base of the penis, stop for a moment and slowly pull the sound out, ever so gently. This is approximately where the best sensations are to be found. Once you’re happy that you can successfully go as deep as that, you can experiment a little deeper, still.

Going deeper will now depend on the type of sounds you use. I have straight and Pratt sounds. Straight are self explanatory. Pratt sounds have a small bend about three inches from the end. Going deeper than the base of the penis is highly pleasurable, but it is slightly more advanced, as it requires the sound to be inserted at the precise angle. If you are urethral sounding your erect penis and sitting on a chair, as I usually am, then going straight downwards will only allow you to go so far. To proceed further, you will have to change the angle slightly. For me, it’s about 45 degrees. Once at this angle, I can usually go a two or three inches deeper.

Slowly going this deep and then gently pulling out a little over and over is, for me, what it’s all about.  I like to go as deep as I can (I usually use about 9″ of my 11″ sounds) and then pull out two or three inches, before going back deep again and repeating over and over. To me, feeling a sound pass through my urethra at the base of my penis feels similar to an orgasm. It’s amazing!

Now you know what urethral sounding is about and what you need to know, you can start yourself. The only thing you now need to do is decide which type of sound to buy. Personally, I started with penis plugs, but I found them a little disappointing as I couldn’t go as deep as I would like. I thought that starting shallow would be the best idea but, when I reached the limit of the plug I found I wanted more, even on the first time I used it. My advice would be to buy a full length sound (or set of sounds), so you’re not disappointed, as I was.

Design wise, there are Pratt sounds (with a slight kink towards the end), Hegar sounds (which are ever so slightly curved), Rosebud sounds (which are very narrow, with bulbous heads), Dittle sounds (which are straight but with a flat end as a handle), Van Buren sounds (which have a very pronounced curve at the end) and Guyon sounds (which are dramatically shaped like hooks or question marks). Other than these traditional sounds, there are many more new designs with different textures. These are great, but I wouldn’t start with them. I’d recommend either Dittle or Pratt sounds to start with, but the choice is up to you. I’d also recommend stainless steel. You can buy sounds crafted from silicone and other body safe materials, but I’d start with something firm and smooth. Stainless steel is ideal.

Once you’ve mastered the urethral sounding basics, there are lots of ways to enjoy urethral play. One of my favourite toys is an electro sound. It’s a unipolar device that I use with either an electro cock ring or an anal attachment. When I turn on my TENS machine, my body completes the circuit and a tiny electric current is passed through my urethra. It feels amazing! What’s also fun is that the more skin in contact with the electro sound, the more the electrical signal is diluted, so the less powerful it feels. This means that when you pull the sound out, the intensity increases dramatically. It’s definitely one I’d recommend!

You could also try penis plugs, but don’t be fooled by them. They won’t stay in. There are no muscles in the head of the penis that can clamp onto a penis plug, so they’re just toys really and not penis jewellery. They might stay in for a short while, but not for long.

There are also chastity devices with urethral inserts! I have one of these and it’s a very unusual feeling. Mine is built in, but some devices have removable inserts so you can wear the device 24/7 but take the urethral insert out if it becomes uncomfortable. I wouldn’t recommend having something inside your urethra permanently, but for short periods these devices can be a lot of fun!

I hope this has opened your eyes a little about urethral sounding and that it’s an intensely pleasurable act, not just something that looks scary. If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I’ll answer as best I can.

– Ruffled Sheets

About the author: Ruffled Sheets is a prolific member of a growing population of male sex toy testers. His website provides sound advice (sorry) for men about hundreds of different sex toys, from the unknown to the best selling and the latest products on the market. He also dabbles with erotic and sex toy photography, displaying his crown jewels (chastity devices, of course) and coffee for all to peruse.

With a strong interest in chastity fetish, Ruffled Sheets is well placed to give his advice – elsewhere at the Cara Sutra sex blog you can read his Beginner’s Guide To Penis Chastity & Male Chastity Play.

Read his sex toy reviews & related advice at his website, or simply to check out his latest sexy underwear shorts or a spot of suit porn.

Buy Yours

I hope you’ve enjoyed this beginner’s guide to urethral sounding & penis sounds play. Find urethral sounds and penis plugs to suit your needs at the following recommended stores:

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