Sangheili are a humanoid species that typically measure over seven feet and weigh over 300 pounds. Their hands have two fingers as well as two thumbs, all of which are larger than those of a human's. Despite their reptilian appearance, sangheili also have four separate mandibles which are insectoid in appearance. Their natural strength and intelligence allow sangheili to be strong warriors, something that they are praised for.
Sangheili are bipeds and bear a superficial resemblance to humans from a distance, an illusion shattered upon closer inspection. In addition to standing between 7'4 and 9'6 in a fully upright position, their head is more reptilian than humanoid with a quadruple-hinged mandibled mouth which opens at the bottom, hence the "split chin" and "squid face" nicknames given to them by humans. The central jaw contains around eight to ten teeth, although it has been noted that they can have more feral-like teeth as well as fangs at the tip of each mandible. There is no visible tongue. The torso of sangheili are similar to the those of a human, although the chest and abdomen are much wider, almost twice that of a well-muscled human. Sangheili also appear to have a double set of pectoral muscles and a more muscular back. Their shoulders are nearly identical in structure to human shoulders, only longer in length and thicker. Their hands have four digits, two fingers and two opposable thumbs, which allow them to use most equipment designed for humans. The feet of sangheili are digitigrade, which allows them to jump greater distances and run much faster than the human norm. Their toe configuration resembles the cloven hooves of various terran mammals; although sangheili wear a soled boot, the overall shape of the "hooves" are still visible. While it is a common misconception that the knees of the sangheili, as well as the knees of other well known bipedal animals such as dinosaurs "bend backward" as opposed to forward, this is not an anatomically correct description. In fact, the configuration of the legs and feet of such creatures are essentially identical to that of humans, except that the toes play the role of the whole foot, and the so-called "backwards knee" actually corresponds to the heel and ankle joint in a human foot.