This study contrasts two distinct types of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the tropical Pacific: the eastern-Pacific (EP) type and the central-Pacific (CP) type. Using surface observations and subsurface ocean data, the authors analyze the spatial and temporal characteristics of these two ENSO types. The EP type is characterized by a SST anomaly center in the eastern equatorial Pacific, associated with basinwide thermocline and surface wind variations, and has a strong teleconnection with the tropical Indian Ocean. In contrast, the CP type has most of its surface wind, SST, and subsurface anomalies confined in the central Pacific and is less related to thermocline variations, with a stronger teleconnection with the southern Indian Ocean. The EP type shows phase-reversal signatures in its anomaly evolution, while the CP type does not, suggesting that the CP type may occur more as events or epochs than as a cycle. The EP type has experienced a stronger interdecadal change, with its dominant SST anomaly period shifting from 2 to 4 years near 1976/77, while the CP type's dominant period remained near the 2-year band. The different onset times of these two types of ENSO imply that the difference between the EP and CP types could be caused by the timing of the mechanisms that trigger the ENSO events. The study also finds that the CP type of ENSO has a similar SST anomaly pattern to the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), but is more sustained and has weaker decadal wavelet. The EP type, on the other hand, has more decadal wavelet, although its spatial pattern is not similar to the PDO pattern. The study concludes that there are two distinct types of ENSO in the tropical Pacific, with different spatial structures, temporal evolutions, and teleconnections with the Indian Ocean. The results suggest that new ENSO indices are needed to better monitor the different types of ENSO activity.This study contrasts two distinct types of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in the tropical Pacific: the eastern-Pacific (EP) type and the central-Pacific (CP) type. Using surface observations and subsurface ocean data, the authors analyze the spatial and temporal characteristics of these two ENSO types. The EP type is characterized by a SST anomaly center in the eastern equatorial Pacific, associated with basinwide thermocline and surface wind variations, and has a strong teleconnection with the tropical Indian Ocean. In contrast, the CP type has most of its surface wind, SST, and subsurface anomalies confined in the central Pacific and is less related to thermocline variations, with a stronger teleconnection with the southern Indian Ocean. The EP type shows phase-reversal signatures in its anomaly evolution, while the CP type does not, suggesting that the CP type may occur more as events or epochs than as a cycle. The EP type has experienced a stronger interdecadal change, with its dominant SST anomaly period shifting from 2 to 4 years near 1976/77, while the CP type's dominant period remained near the 2-year band. The different onset times of these two types of ENSO imply that the difference between the EP and CP types could be caused by the timing of the mechanisms that trigger the ENSO events. The study also finds that the CP type of ENSO has a similar SST anomaly pattern to the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), but is more sustained and has weaker decadal wavelet. The EP type, on the other hand, has more decadal wavelet, although its spatial pattern is not similar to the PDO pattern. The study concludes that there are two distinct types of ENSO in the tropical Pacific, with different spatial structures, temporal evolutions, and teleconnections with the Indian Ocean. The results suggest that new ENSO indices are needed to better monitor the different types of ENSO activity.