Proposed by painter Albert Munsell in 1905, the system treats Hue (10 principal hues around a wheel), Value (0 = black to 10 = white), and Chroma (0 = neutral gray up to a hue-specific maximum) as three independent axes. Notation reads Hue, then Value/Chroma — "5R 5/10," for example.
The difference from HSL is that HSL is a mathematically defined cylinder, while Munsell was built from actual human perception — measuring what looks like an equal step rather than computing one. That is also why the maximum chroma reachable differs by hue, and the resulting solid is lumpy rather than a clean cylinder.
The demo below is a simplified visualization built to teach the concept — it approximates Value and Chroma with HSL's lightness and saturation, so the numbers will not match a real, measured Munsell color chip exactly. Despite the approximation here, the real system is still a working standard for specifying color in print, paint, and art education.
When to use
Reach for the real system when color must be specified against human perception — paint, print. For screen design, HSL or OKLCH is usually more practical.