The moai are monolithic (formed of a single large block of stone) statues. Moai are carved from volcanic ash. The human figures would be outlined in the rock wall first, then chipped away until only the image was left. The over-large heads have heavy brows and noses with a fish-hook-shaped curl of the nostrils. The lips protrude in a thin pout. Like the nose, the ears are lengthen in form. The jaw lines stand out against the shorten neck. The torsos are heavy, and, sometimes, the clavicles are subtly outlined in stone. The arms are carved in and rest against the body in various positions, hands and long slender fingers resting along the crests of the hips, meeting at the hami (loincloth), with the thumbs sometimes pointing towards the navel. Generally, the anatomical features of the backs are not detailed, but sometimes bear a ring and girdle motif on the buttocks and lower back. Except for one kneeling moai, the statues do not have clearly visible legs.

Though moai are whole-body statues, they are often referred to as "Easter Island heads" in some popular pamphlet. This is partly because of the huge size of most moai heads, and partly because many of the iconic images for the island showing upright moai are the statues on the slopes of, many of which are buried to their shoulders. Some of the "heads" at Rano Raraku have been dig and their bodies seen, and observed to have markings that had been protected from erosion by their burial.

The average height of the moai is about 4 m (13 ft)! With the average width at the base around 1.6 m (5.2 ft). These massive creations usually weigh around 12.5 tons (12519.15kg) each.(wow)