There are three main types of volcanoes, based on the type of lava that spurts out. If you don't know the types of lava, we suggest you check out that page first.
The first type of volcano is called a Stratovolcano, or a Composite Volcano. They are tall and cone-shaped, most like the generic volcano design. Stratovolcanoes erupt Aa lava because they are tall and have a steep slope, resulting in faster and more chunky lava flows. Also, since aa lava dries faster, it hardens while still on the volcano, making it tall.
The second type of volcano is a Cinder Cone. Cinder Cone volcanoes are the simplest type of volcano, because the lava only erupts out of one vent: the top. They are cone-shaped and asymmetrical because of hardened lava chunks. Cinder Cone volcanoes are also the steepest volcanoes.
The third type of volcano is a Shield volcano. Shield volcanoes are lower, wider and are less steep. They erupt Pahoehoe lava and since that type of lava hardens slower, the lava gets more of a chance to spread wider, and overall make the volcano wider. Additionally, the less step incline of Shield volcanoes also make the lava slower, and pahoehoe lava.