The pencil pregnancy test comes from an old wives’ tale that claims it can predict the gender of an unborn baby. It is also said that this test can reveal the birth history of a woman who already has children, and can even predict the gender of future children for a woman who is not pregnant.  Supposedly the test will work on men as well. Of course, it’s about as scientific as Carol’s pregnancy test on Archer, but it can still be a fun game to play at baby showers.

What You’ll Need

To perform the pencil test to determine the gender of an unborn baby, you will need:

1. Pencil with an eraser on the end
2. Pencil sharpener
3. Needle
4. Thread

Pencil Pregnancy Test

How to Perform the Pencil Pregnancy Test

The pencil will need to swing like a pendulum, so choose a location that is free from the interference of wind. Then follow these steps:

1. First, sharpen the pencil to a fine point.
2. Next, thread the needle. You don’t need too much thread, just enough to hold onto.
3. Press the threaded needle into the eraser on the back of the pencil.
4. Place your hand palm-up on a flat surface.
5. Lift the pencil by the thread, and touch the point to the pregnant woman’s wrist.
6. Raise the pencil directly upwards, taking care to move as little as possible, and hold the pencil very still. Then observe its motions, which will indicate the gender of the baby.

If the pencil moves vertically from wrist to elbow, the baby will be a boy. If it moves horizontally across the wrist, the baby will be a girl. The pencil should stop on its own and start again between children, to indicate the number of children the subject will have (or has had, if you are testing the accuracy of the test on a woman who has already had children). I’m not pregnant, but if this test is accurate, I’ll have a girl someday! Try it out and let us know your results in the comments.

7 replies
  1. Melanie
    Melanie says:

    This test is 100%accurate! My kids are all grown up but it told me the gender of all my kids, including my miscarriage, and stopped with my youngest.

    Reply
  2. Melanie Miller
    Melanie Miller says:

    Actually I broke a number two pencil in 1/2 and inserted the needle into the led instead of using the eraser. It was 100% accurate. I used it on both of my daughter’s when they we’re pregnant, and it was accurate. Also told what I had, and I used it on my husband and son’s in law’s was accurate with them also. I was also told by my mom that I shouldn’t be using it, because it was a form of witch craft.

    Reply
  3. Vicki Perrin
    Vicki Perrin says:

    I have been doing the pencil test for years. My Aunt showed me when I was very little down south. I must have tested every female an makes dog there was that would lay still. Anyway the pencil has always been right….learning quickly that the pencil test will show miscarriages, abortions. I also do this on men. However I do warn the man as well as their wife or girlfriend, that men do not always know who they have pollinated. So may surprise you both!! As I stated before I learned this the hard way. I find your direction of pencil an my direction of pencil are different. I was taught circle is girl always right! Boys back an forth across wrist. Then the pencil will stop on own it’s on as well when finish pencil will vibrate an jiggling a very tiny bit. Twins say girl twins will go into circle then slow down an right back into girl etc. Girl boy remain same do a circle then slow down an switch back an forth across wrist. We always use left wrist. Thank you for sharing now I will have to see how your way works from the southern way! God Bless an enjoy the Pencil test .

    Reply
  4. Brenda
    Brenda says:

    Question? What if it shows different genders on your wrist than stomach? Like mine goes boy, girl, boy, girl, then on my stomach it just says boy. What dose that mean?

    Reply
  5. Nikki
    Nikki says:

    You should probably get a pregnancy I we should probably get a pregnancy test this thing really works and you said it says boy girl boy girl stop… Have you had any children yet? If not Of course your first will be a boy and may already be on the way. If not maybe it means it’ll be soon. I would love to know if turns out that you are pregnant so please let me know how things turned out because it’s been over a month since your post. No matter what, a good luck and God bless

    Reply

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  1. […] Apparently there’s an old wives’ tale that I hadn’t heard of called the “Pencil Pregnancy Test”. […]

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