There are a wide variety of earring fittings:

Andralok - A patented pierced earring fitting with a hinge half way along the earring stem. After inserting the stem, the hinged section drops down behind your ear to hold the earring in place.

Andraslide - A patented earring fitting for un-pierced ears. A U-shaped spring fits under the ear lobe and round the back of the ear to hold the earring in place. Claimed to be more comfortable than traditional clips as it does not grip so tightly, is lighter and not so bulky on the ear.

Clip - A traditional hinged earring fitting for un-pierced ears.

Continental - See Lever back.

Hook fitting - Usually for drop earrings and also called a hook wire or safety wire fitting, these earring fittings hook through the ear and hang down behind the lobe. They have the advantage of not requiring butterflies, which can be fiddly or easy to lose, but are usually larger and more expensive. Safety wire fittings also have a snap shut closure for extra security.

Lever back - Usually for drop earrings, this is a type of hook fastening for pierced ears that utilises a hinged "lever" on the main part of the earring to close the gap to the end of the hook. Also called "Continental" due to its popularity in Europe.

Post and Butterfly - For stud or drop earrings and occasionally also called a "French Fitting", this is the commonest form of earring fastening for pierced ears using a 'post' attached to the earring, which connects with a separate scroll shaped device (butterfly) to hold the earring in place.