n strnmy, stllr clssfctn s th clssfctn f strs bsd n thr spctrl chrctrstcs. lctrmgntc rdtn frm th str s nlyzd by splttng t wth prsm r dffrctn grtng nt spctrm xhbtng th rnbw f clrs ntrsprsd wth spctrl lns. ch ln ndcts prtclr chmcl lmnt r mlcl, wth th ln strngth ndctng th bndnc f tht lmnt. Th strngths f th dffrnt spctrl lns vry mnly d t th tmprtr f th phtsphr, lthgh n sm css thr r tr bndnc dffrncs. Th spctrl clss f str s shrt cd prmrly smmrzng th nztn stt, gvng n bjctv msr f th phtsphr's tmprtr.
Mst strs r crrntly clssfd ndr th Mrgn–Knn (MK) systm sng th lttrs , B, , F, G, K, nd M, sqnc frm th httst ( typ) t th clst (M typ). ch lttr clss s thn sbdvdd sng nmrc dgt wth 0 bng httst nd 9 bng clst (.g., 8, 9, F0, nd F1 frm sqnc frm httr t clr). Th sqnc hs bn xpndd wth thr clsss fr thr strs tht d nt ft n th clsscl systm: W, S nd C. Sm stllr rmnnts r bjcts f dvtng mss hv ls bn ssgnd lttrs: D fr wht dwrfs nd L, T nd Y fr brwn dwrfs (nd xplnts).
n th MK systm, lmnsty clss s ddd t th spctrl clss sng Rmn nmrls. Ths s bsd n th wdth f crtn bsrptn lns n th str's spctrm, whch vry wth th dnsty f th tmsphr nd s dstngsh gnt strs frm dwrfs. Lmnsty clss 0 r + s sd fr hyprgnts, clss fr sprgnts, clss fr brght gnts, clss fr rglr gnts, clss V fr sbgnts, clss V fr mn-sqnc strs, clss sd (r V) fr sbdwrfs, nd clss D (r V) fr wht dwrfs. Th fll spctrl clss fr th Sn s thn G2V, ndctng mn-sqnc str wth srfc tmprtr rnd 5,800 K.