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

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2004-01-20</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000096879</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>TEKTRONIX INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>TEK</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001214422</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>MCBEE RICHARD D</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>PO BOX 500</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>14200 SW KARL BRAUN DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>BEAVERTON</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>OR</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>97077-0001</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>Vice President</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeTable><nonDerivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2004-01-20</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>4000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><footnoteId id="F1"/></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>15310</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeTransaction><nonDerivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>5769</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>I</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value>401(k) Plan</value></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeHolding></nonDerivativeTable><derivativeTable><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Non-Qualified Stock Option</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>20.0625</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2002-01-20</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2010-01-20</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>17000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>17000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Non-Qualified Stock Option</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>17.12</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2003-09-20</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2011-09-20</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>5000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>5000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Non-Qualified Stock Option</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>37.50</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2003-01-18</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2011-01-18</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>25000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>25000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Non-Qualified Stock Option</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>27.37</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2003-05-17</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2011-05-17</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>10000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>10000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Non-Qualified Stock Option</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>24.48</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2003-02-01</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2012-02-01</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>33000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>33000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeHolding><securityTitle><value>Non-Qualified Stock Option</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>17.51</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><exerciseDate><value>2004-01-22</value></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-01-22</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>50000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>50000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeHolding><derivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Non-Qualified Stock Option </value><footnoteId id="F2"/></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>31.55</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2004-01-20</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>5</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>28000</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><footnoteId id="F2"/></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>2005-01-20</value><footnoteId id="F2"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2014-01-20</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>28000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>28000</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership><natureOfOwnership><value/></natureOfOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeTransaction></derivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Shares issued pursuant to Company's Stock Incentive Plan.</footnote><footnote id="F2">Employee stock option granted 1/20/04 and becomes exercisable for 25% of the shares on each of the first four anniversaries of the option date.</footnote></footnotes><remarks/><ownerSignature><signatureName>H. Paul Montgomery, Attorney-in-fact, for Richard D. McBee</signatureName><signatureDate>2004-01-22</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

