Color blindness is usually grouped into three main categories: red-green, blue-yellow, and rare total or near-total color vision loss. Within those groups are subtypes such as protan, deutan, and tritan, which is why some lists show more than three types.
Bottom line: There are three main groups of color blindness, with several more specific subtypes within them.
If you want the simplest answer, there are three main groups people usually mean when they talk about types of color blindness. These are red-green color blindness, blue-yellow color blindness, and rare forms that affect nearly all color vision.
That said, you will also see more specific names within those groups. For example, red-green color blindness includes protan and deutan types, while blue-yellow color blindness includes tritan types. So the exact number depends on whether you mean broad groups or specific subtypes.
Many articles list more than three types because they count the subtype names separately. That is why you may see terms such as protanopia, deuteranopia, protanomaly, deuteranomaly, tritanopia, and tritanomaly. Those names are useful, but they still fit inside the main groups above.
Red-green color blindness is the most common type. It affects how a person tells apart reds, greens, and some related shades. In daily life, this can make certain colors look duller, closer together, or easier to mix up.
This group is usually split into protan and deutan types. The difference depends on which color-sensitive cone is affected and how strongly it changes color perception.
Protan color blindness affects red perception. Reds may look darker than expected, and some red, orange, brown, and green shades may be harder to tell apart.
If you want a deeper explanation of this type, see our guide to protanopia.
Deutan color blindness also falls under the red-green group, but it affects green perception more directly. People with a deutan type may still confuse red and green, but the brightness change seen in protan types is usually less noticeable.
Because this is the most common group overall, many readers searching for types of color blindness are really trying to understand the red-green forms first.
Blue-yellow color blindness is much less common than red-green color blindness. It can make blue and yellow shades harder to separate, and some greens and pinkish tones may also look less distinct.
This group is usually called tritan color blindness. If you want more detail on that topic, visit our page on blue-yellow color blindness.
Tritan types affect blue-yellow color perception. While they are rare, they matter because they show that color blindness is not always about red and green. That is one reason a broad overview page like this should explain more than one group.
Some rare conditions affect nearly all color vision rather than just one color pair. These forms are far less common, but they are often included when people ask how many types of color blindness there are.
Monochromacy is a rare condition in which color vision is extremely limited. A person may see little to no true color and rely much more on lightness and contrast.
Achromatopsia is another rare condition linked to very limited color vision. It is often discussed with symptoms such as strong light sensitivity and reduced visual comfort. Because it is rare and more complex, this page only mentions it as part of the full overview.
| Main Type | Common Subtype Names | Colors Commonly Affected | How Common |
| Red-green | Protan, deutan | Red, green, and related shades | Most common |
| Blue-yellow | Tritan | Blue, yellow, and some nearby shades | Rare |
| Total or near-total color blindness | Monochromacy, achromatopsia | Many or nearly all colors | Very rare |
Eye-health organizations use detailed subtype names, but they still fit the same broad picture: red-green, blue-yellow, and rare complete color-vision deficiency. Most color-vision deficiency changes how certain colors are separated rather than removing color completely. Inherited forms are usually stable rather than gradually getting worse.
Different types of color blindness do not all look the same. In red-green types, certain reds, greens, browns, and oranges may blend together more easily. In blue-yellow types, blue and yellow shades may be harder to separate. In rare total-color conditions, color itself may be greatly reduced.
That is why a reader searching for “what color blind people see” may also end up on this page. The answer depends on the type, not just the label “color blindness.”
Mayo Clinic notes that color-vision problems may become obvious when someone has trouble with traffic signals or color-coded learning materials. At a desk, the same kind of confusion can show up in red and green status dots, charts, maps, or highlighted spreadsheet cells. If the information is easier to understand once it also has a label, symbol, or pattern, the screen may be revealing a color difference rather than causing it.
Many forms of color blindness are inherited. However, some color vision changes can also happen later in life because of other eye or health issues. This page stays focused on the main types, but it helps to know that not every case starts the same way.
It is also common to ask who is more likely to have it. For that question, see can women be color blind.
Some people mistake color blindness for seeing only black, white, and gray. The American Academy of Ophthalmology notes that most people with color vision deficiency still see color; complete loss of color vision is uncommon.
Another useful distinction is lifelong versus new. The National Eye Institute says inherited color-vision deficiency generally stays stable, while color vision can also change later because of an eye or brain condition, injury, or certain medicines. A new change in color perception is therefore different from simply realizing that the same color pairs have always been hard to tell apart.
If you think certain colors have always looked harder to tell apart, a color blind test may help you narrow down the likely type. It will not replace a full eye exam, but it can be a useful first step for understanding whether the issue looks more like a red-green or blue-yellow pattern.
For a simple overview of one popular option, visit our guide to the EnChroma color blind test.
If you are unsure what you are noticing, write down which color pairs are hardest to separate and whether the problem shows up on paper as well as on more than one screen. Also note whether it has always been this way or whether it seems new.
The National Eye Institute explains that an eye doctor can use color-plate testing and, when needed, other color-vision tests to sort out the pattern more reliably. This is not a substitute for an eye exam.
These questions cannot identify a color-vision subtype, but they can help you describe what you are noticing more clearly.
Red-green color blindness is the most common type. Within that group, deutan forms are especially common.
Yes. Blue-yellow color blindness is much less common than red-green color blindness.
Yes, women can be color blind. It is less common, but it does happen. You can read more in our guide on can women be color blind.
No. Total or near-total color blindness is very rare compared with the more common red-green forms.
Most lifelong color-vision differences are not an emergency. But Mayo Clinic and the American Optometric Association recommend getting eye care when you notice a new or changing vision problem. Make an eye appointment if you notice:
When in doubt, see an eye care professional.
This article was written using publicly available information from organizations including the AAO, AOA, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, NIH/NEI, CDC, and FDA.
