脉动白矮星是一种光度变化是由自身内部非径向的引力波脉动造成的白矮星，已经知道的脉动白矮星包括DAV，或鲸鱼座ZZ(这是大气层以氢为主，光谱为DA型的白矮星)、DBV，或 武仙座V777(这是大气层以氦为主，光谱为DB型的白矮星)、和室女座GW(这是大气层以氦、碳和氧为主，光谱为PG 1159型的白矮星。有些作者会将非PG 1159星的也包括在室女GW型内)。室女GW型可以再分为DOV和PNNV星。严格来说，它们还不是白矮星，因为在赫罗图上还没有抵达白矮星的位置，但可以算是前白矮星。大气层以碳为主的次分类DQV星，也被建议属于这一类。

A pulsating white dwarf is a white dwarf star whose luminosity varies due to non-radial gravity wave pulsations within itself. Known types of pulsating white dwarfs include DAV, or ZZ Ceti, stars, with hydrogen-dominated atmospheres and the spectral type DA; DBV, or V777 Her, stars, with helium-dominated atmospheres and the spectral type DB; and GW Vir stars, with atmospheres dominated by helium, carbon, and oxygen, and the spectral type PG 1159. (Some authors also include non-PG 1159 stars in the class of GW Vir stars.) GW Vir stars may be subdivided into DOV and PNNV stars; they are not, strictly speaking, white dwarfs but pre-white dwarfs which have not yet reached the white dwarf region on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. A subtype of DQV stars, with carbon-dominated atmospheres, has also been proposed., and in May 2012, the first extremely low mass variable (ELMV) white dwarf was reported.