光谱仪有多种类型，除在可见光波段使用的光谱仪外，还有红外光谱仪和紫外光谱仪。按色散元件的不同可分为棱镜光谱仪、光栅光谱仪和干涉光谱仪等。按探测方法分，有直接用眼观察的分光镜，用感光片记录的摄谱仪，以及用光电或热电元件探测光谱的分光光度计等。单色仪是通过狭缝只输出单色谱线的光谱仪器，常与其他分析仪器配合使用。
There are many types of spectrometers. In addition to the spectrometers used in the visible band, there are infrared spectrometers and ultraviolet spectrometers. According to the different dispersion elements, it can be divided into prism spectrometer, grating spectrometer and interference spectrometer. According to the detection method, there are spectroscopes for direct observation with eyes, spectrographs recorded with photographic plates, spectrophotometers for detecting spectra with photoelectric or thermoelectric elements, etc. Monochromator is a kind of spectral instrument which only outputs monochromatic spectral lines through slit, and it is often used with other analytical instruments.