Types of Synesthesia: A Complete Guide With Examples
#TalkNerdyToMe® Staff Writer
My life is now classified in two ways ... pre-diagnosis and post. Synesthesia affects every minute of every day of my life. It's a superpower for sure, but also needs a lot of regulation ... which took me a long time to understand what that meant. Hugs to those on their journey. <3
The letter A is red. Tuesday is dark blue. A song feels like a warm blanket on the skin. A word has a taste.
To a person with synesthesia, none of that is poetic. It's just how the world works. The senses cross wires, and the extra experience shows up automatically, every time.
There are dozens of reported types, and most people with synesthesia never learn there's a name for theirs. Here's a plain-English guide to the main types, with examples.
- Synesthesia is a neurological trait where one sense or concept automatically triggers another, like sounds that have colors.
- Researchers have reported dozens of types. The best known are grapheme-color, chromesthesia, lexical-gustatory, mirror-touch, auditory-tactile and spatial sequence.
- It's involuntary, consistent over time, and usually starts in childhood.
- It isn't a disease, and most people don't need treatment.
- Consistency tests, like the Synesthesia Battery, can help show whether an experience is synesthesia.
What is synesthesia?
Synesthesia (also spelled synaesthesia) is a trait in which stimulation of one sense or concept triggers an extra, automatic experience in another. The "trigger" is called the inducer, and the extra experience is called the concurrent.
A few features show up across most types:
- Automatic. It happens without effort and can't be switched off.
- Consistent. The same trigger gives the same experience over time. If the letter A is red today, it's red years from now.
- Usually early. Many people notice it in childhood and assume everyone has it.
- Often runs in families. Research suggests a genetic component.
Estimates vary, but a commonly cited figure is that around 4% of people have some form of synesthesia.
Projectors vs. associators
Some people see the extra experience "out there" in the world, like colored letters on the page. These are often called projectors. Others experience it in the mind's eye, called associators. Both are valid forms of synesthesia.
Types of synesthesia at a glance
| Type | Trigger | Extra experience |
|---|---|---|
| Grapheme-color | Letters, numbers | Colors |
| Chromesthesia | Sounds, music | Colors, shapes, movement |
| Lexical-gustatory | Words, names | Tastes |
| Mirror-touch | Seeing someone touched | Feeling the touch |
| Auditory-tactile | Sounds | Touch sensations |
| Spatial sequence | Numbers, days, months | Fixed locations in space |
| Ordinal linguistic personification | Letters, numbers, days | Personalities or genders |
| Time-color | Days, months | Colors |
| Tickertape | Spoken words | Seeing the words written out |
The main types, explained
Grapheme-color synesthesia
Letters and numbers have colors. A person might see the letter A as red, 5 as green and the word "Monday" as a blend of its letters. This is among the best-known types, and different people's colors rarely match.
Chromesthesia (sound-to-color)
Sounds, music or voices trigger colors, shapes or movement. A certain note might look like a gold spark, and a loud noise might flash across the vision like a splash of paint. Musicians sometimes describe it, though many non-musicians have it too.
Lexical-gustatory synesthesia
Words trigger tastes, sometimes very specific ones. A name might taste like toast, or a certain word might taste like pennies. It's considered rare, and it can make conversations interesting.
Mirror-touch synesthesia
Watching someone get touched triggers a real sensation on the observer's own body. It's often confused with ordinary empathy, but the physical feeling is the difference. Read more in Mirror-Touch Synesthesia: When Empathy Becomes a Physical Sensation.
Auditory-tactile synesthesia
Sounds produce touch sensations, like goosebumps, tingles or pressure. A particular voice or sound might feel like a hand brushing the arm. This type is separate from misophonia, where certain sounds cause irritation or distress.
Spatial sequence synesthesia (number forms and calendar forms)
Numbers, days of the week, months or years sit in specific places in space. January might curve around the left shoulder, or the numbers 1 to 100 might form a fixed shape in the mind's eye. Many people with this type use their map to remember dates or do math.
Ordinal linguistic personification
Letters, numbers, days or months have personalities. Wednesday might be a friendly neighbor, 4 might be bossy, and the letter S might feel shy. It's often reported together with other types.
Time-color and tickertape synesthesia
In time-color, days and months have colors. In tickertape, spoken words appear as scrolling text in the mind, like subtitles.
What about seeing auras?
Some people describe seeing colors around people or sensing a color tied to someone's emotions or presence. Researchers have studied person-color and emotion-color associations as synesthesia-like experiences. Science hasn't found evidence of a literal energy field, but the experience itself can be real and consistent for the person having it. If this sounds familiar, the synesthesia hub has more first-person accounts.
Is synesthesia linked to autism?
Research suggests synesthesia is more common in autistic people than in the general population. One often-cited study reported roughly 19% of autistic adults had synesthesia compared with about 7% of non-autistic adults, though results vary across studies. See the overlap between giftedness, autism and synesthesia for more.
How to find out if it's synesthesia
- Notice the pattern. Is the extra experience automatic, not imagined or chosen?
- Test for consistency. Write down the colors, tastes or sensations now. Check again weeks or months later. Real synesthesia tends to stay the same.
- Try an online test. The Synesthesia Battery, a free research tool, tests consistency for several types.
- Talk to a professional if needed. Synesthesia isn't usually "diagnosed" the way medical conditions are, but a clinician or researcher can help, especially if the experience is new, sudden or distressing.
A note on sudden changes: Synesthesia that appears suddenly in adulthood, especially after an injury, illness or medication change, is worth discussing with a doctor. It's different from the lifelong, developmental kind.
FAQ
What is the most common type of synesthesia?
Days and months with colors, and grapheme-color synesthesia, are among the most frequently reported. Estimates differ between studies.
Is synesthesia a disorder?
No. It's generally considered a variation in how the brain connects information. Most people with synesthesia say it's neutral or enjoyable, though a few types, like mirror-touch, can be overwhelming.
Is synesthesia genetic?
It often runs in families, which suggests a genetic component, though the exact genes aren't fully known.
Can you have more than one type?
Yes. Many people have two or more. Having one type makes it more likely to have others.
Can you develop synesthesia as an adult?
Rarely. It can appear after brain injury, sensory loss or certain substances. If that happens, talk with a doctor.
How many types of synesthesia are there?
Researchers have reported dozens of types, with commonly cited counts of 60 or more. New combinations are still being described.
Can synesthesia be tested?
Yes. Consistency tests, such as the Synesthesia Battery, are widely used in research. They check whether the same trigger leads to the same experience over time.
Is synesthesia the same as hallucinating?
No. Synesthesia is consistent, triggered by a specific input, and the person knows the extra experience isn't "real" in the outside world. Hallucinations are different and usually unpredictable.
The bottom line
Synesthesia isn't a quirk to fix. It's a different, and often delightful, way a brain can build the world. If a word has a taste or a Tuesday has a color, there's a name for it and a lot of people who get it.
Talk Nerdy To Me® readers: which type is yours? Share it in the comments.
This article shares lived experience and general information. It isn't medical advice. If you have questions about a sensory experience, especially a sudden or distressing one, please speak with a qualified healthcare professional.
