<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-12-31</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000097210</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>TERADYNE INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>TER</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001198621</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BRADLEY MICHAEL A</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>TERADYNE, INC.</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>321 HARRISON AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BOSTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>02118</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>President</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Shares</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-12-31</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1701</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>11.67</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>65597</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction></nonDerivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Shares acquired pursuant to Teradyne 1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, in a transaction exempt under Rule 16b-3.</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>Eileen Casal, General Counsel, by power of attorney</signatureName><signatureDate>2004-01-02</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

