Stimulus Parity
Concept-Shape
Colored Sequence
A brief guide to 10 kinds of synesthesia
Grapheme-Texture, Shape and Color
Stimulus-Dichotomy
Auditory-Tactile
Tactile-Visual
Sound-Texture
Grapheme-Texture, Shape and Color Synesthesia
This type of synesthesia means that you perceive graphemes (letters, numbers, punctuation or other symbols) to have a certain texture, shape or color. Some synesthetes will only perceive texture while others could perceive texture and sound. Grapheme synesthesia is very common but widely varies among synesthetes.
Stimulus-Dichotomy Synesthesia
This is a variant of stimulus-parity synesthesia, except the two opposing categories are not odd and even but other concepts. Some common categories are gender (male vs. female), direction (left vs. right) or temperature (warm vs. cold).
Colored Sequence Synesthesia
This type of synesthesia means that you perceive a color for each item in a series or sequence. This could include time units, like months, or even anatomy, like hands.
Tactile-Visual Synesthesia
This type of synesthesia involves perceiving colored or shaped sensations in response to a physical stimulus. This could be touching different textures or feeling the wind blow. In some rare cases, the sensations are triggered by the perceived sensations of another person that the synesthete is touching.
Concept-Shape Synesthesia
This type of synesthesia refers to when a series or sequence of concepts trigger shapes. An example of the simpler type would be perceiving "left" as round and "right" as square. The more complex type is triggered by concepts or thought processes and evokes shapes, lines and/or colours simultaneously. Projector synesthetes would actually see them physically, although this is extremely rare.
Sound-Texture Synesthesia
This type of synesthesia means perceiving textures from sounds. These textures are typically simultaneous with sensations of other concepts such as color. Examples include associating the sound of the wind with white silk or the sound of a zipper with the texture of mechanical gears.
Auditory-Tactile Synesthesia
This type of synesthesia means sounds trigger physical sensations that can be felt within the body or on the skin, or can be related to just awareness of body position and movement. Examples include the sensation of tickling from the sound of velcro being pulled apart or thumps on the chest from the sound of a car door shutting.
Stimulus-Parity Synesthesia
This type of synesthesia means that you perceive concepts other than numbers to be even or odd. Some synesthetes might also perceive numbers different than the conventional (for example, seeing one as even or two as odd).
A brief guide to 10 kinds of synesthesia
Emilyn
Created on February 27, 2026
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Transcript
Stimulus Parity
Concept-Shape
Colored Sequence
A brief guide to 10 kinds of synesthesia
Grapheme-Texture, Shape and Color
Stimulus-Dichotomy
Auditory-Tactile
Tactile-Visual
Sound-Texture
Grapheme-Texture, Shape and Color Synesthesia
This type of synesthesia means that you perceive graphemes (letters, numbers, punctuation or other symbols) to have a certain texture, shape or color. Some synesthetes will only perceive texture while others could perceive texture and sound. Grapheme synesthesia is very common but widely varies among synesthetes.
Stimulus-Dichotomy Synesthesia
This is a variant of stimulus-parity synesthesia, except the two opposing categories are not odd and even but other concepts. Some common categories are gender (male vs. female), direction (left vs. right) or temperature (warm vs. cold).
Colored Sequence Synesthesia
This type of synesthesia means that you perceive a color for each item in a series or sequence. This could include time units, like months, or even anatomy, like hands.
Tactile-Visual Synesthesia
This type of synesthesia involves perceiving colored or shaped sensations in response to a physical stimulus. This could be touching different textures or feeling the wind blow. In some rare cases, the sensations are triggered by the perceived sensations of another person that the synesthete is touching.
Concept-Shape Synesthesia
This type of synesthesia refers to when a series or sequence of concepts trigger shapes. An example of the simpler type would be perceiving "left" as round and "right" as square. The more complex type is triggered by concepts or thought processes and evokes shapes, lines and/or colours simultaneously. Projector synesthetes would actually see them physically, although this is extremely rare.
Sound-Texture Synesthesia
This type of synesthesia means perceiving textures from sounds. These textures are typically simultaneous with sensations of other concepts such as color. Examples include associating the sound of the wind with white silk or the sound of a zipper with the texture of mechanical gears.
Auditory-Tactile Synesthesia
This type of synesthesia means sounds trigger physical sensations that can be felt within the body or on the skin, or can be related to just awareness of body position and movement. Examples include the sensation of tickling from the sound of velcro being pulled apart or thumps on the chest from the sound of a car door shutting.
Stimulus-Parity Synesthesia
This type of synesthesia means that you perceive concepts other than numbers to be even or odd. Some synesthetes might also perceive numbers different than the conventional (for example, seeing one as even or two as odd).