What is the phenomenon called when we use an incorrect sensory perception to describe something?

My primary and most common example is to read something and say (or write) that it "sounds familiar". Text has no sound. I'm sure there is a technical term for this practice or phenomenon. What is it?

The technical term you're thinking of is synesthesia

a neurologically based condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.

...but you don't really want to say that. Your usages are simply metaphoric

a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance.

Everyone does this all the time, often without realising. A blind friend of mine only occasionally registers the fact that he says "I see what you mean" as often as anyone else.

One broad classification of metaphors is into cognitive (involving thought, meaning, purpose, etc.) as opposed to perceptual (based on sense perceptions). Perceptual metaphors can be further subdivided into visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, etc. I'm not aware of a single term for metaphors where both the thing referenced, and the metaphor, involve different sensory inputs.