Erotic talk, also known as dirty talk, love talk, sexy talk, talking dirty, or naughty talk, is the practice of using explicit word imagery to heighten sexual excitement before and during (or instead of) physical sexual activity. It is commonly a part of foreplay, and can include vivid erotic descriptions, sexual commands and rude words. The intention of erotic talk is generally to generate excitement between one, both or all parties engaged in a sexual interaction, or even to induce orgasm.
The 2013-2014 Great Australian Sex Census found that 62.0% of respondents enjoyed talking during sex, with 41.7% preferring dirty talk, 13.1% preferring sweet talk, and 7.2% preferring stern directions.
A 2022 study found that there are generally few differences between genders regarding the content of erotic talk.
Individualistic and mutualistic
There are two main types of erotic talk, which can be broken down into four subgroups each. These categories include Individualistic Talk (Sexual Dominance/Submission, Ownership, and Speaking Fantasies) and Mutualistic Talk (Instructive Statements, Reflexive Calls, Emotional Bonding, and Positive Feedback). A 2016 study from Jonason at al. found that both mutualistic and individualistic talk showed a positive correlation with sexual satisfaction, while only mutualistic talk, especially bonding talk, showed a positive correlation with sexual satisfaction.
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