Abstract: In high voltage XLPE cable, the microvoids in insulation bulk, as well as the protrusions at the interface of the insulation layer and the semi-conductive shield, will cause electrical field distortion, which is one of the main reasons of cable insulation faults.The degree of electric field distortion caused by these defects is closely related to geometry of defects.The current national standard specified the size limits of micropores, protrusions and other defects in XLPE insulated high voltage cables of various voltage levels, but did not explain the influence of defect geometry on electric field distortion.Three typical defects were considered: the bulk void, the protrusion of the semi-conductive shield into the insulation layer and the protrusion of the insulation into the semi-conductive shield.Geometric models of the three kinds of defects were established respectively.Finite element method was used to solve electric field distribution near the defects, and the influence of defect morphology on electric field distortion is studied.It was found that the shape of the defect and its orientation in the insulation are the main factors determining the degree of local electric field distortion, and the size of the defect mainly affects the range of electric field distortion area.When the maximum size of the defect remains unchanged, changing the shape of the defect can effectively reduce the electric field distortion caused by the defect.