  In this paper are summarized the main advances of the last years in the field
of SN spectra . The arguments against a monodimensional sequence for SNIa are
discussed as well as the efforts to improve the temporal and spectral coverage
of this kind of SNe, with the aim to understand the physics of the explosions
for their use as cosmological distance indicators. Although variety is the main
character of core-collapse SNe, we have been recently surprised by both
exceptionally under- and over-energetic explosions. The main properties of
these two extreme subclasses are here reviewed.
