Abstract: Wood is a kind of natural renewable resource with multi-pore structure. Its pore structure, especially the cell wall pore structure, is highly important, which is a fundamental scientific issue in wood processing, with practical significance for improving the comprehensive utilization rate of wood. In this paper, the types of pores in wood and their characterization techniques were briefly introduced. On this basis, research progress concerning the effect of water on the pore structure of wood cell wall was reviewed. Existing problems and challenges in the field of pore structure changes of wood cell wall induced by water were summarized, and the future work and prospects were prospected, with the wish of providing new insights and deep understanding for revealing the interaction between wood and water.