#51A5AA
Closest named color: Cadet Blue (#5F9EA0). oklch(67.2% 0.082 200.6), rgb(81, 165, 170).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (7.31:1).
About this color
#51A5AA is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 67%, its chroma 0.082 and its hue 201°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Cadet Blue (#5F9EA0), ΔE 0.022 away. Black text reads best on it, at 7.31:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (67%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.082) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Cadet Blue (#5F9EA0) |
| Black text | 7.31:1 |
| White text | 2.87:1 |
Values
| HEX | #51A5AA |
| RGB | rgb(81, 165, 170) |
| HSL | hsl(183, 35%, 49%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(67.2% 0.082 200.6) |
Contrast
WCAG 2 contrast ratios are the conformance target: AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text, AAA needs 7:1. APCA Lc values are supplementary guidance from the WCAG 3 drafts.
| Pair | WCAG 2 | Result | APCA | APCA guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White text on #51A5AA | 2.87:1 | Fails | Lc -60.0 | Content text, not long reading |
| Black text on #51A5AA | 7.31:1 | AAA | Lc 49.3 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #51A5AA text on white | 2.87:1 | Fails | Lc 54.7 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #51A5AA text on black | 7.31:1 | AAA | Lc -47.1 | Large or bold text, headings |
Tints and shades
A 50–950 scale built in OKLCH: the hue is held, lightness follows a Tailwind v4-like curve, and every step is kept inside the sRGB gamut. This color sits at step 400.
-
Step 50
50
#F0F7F7
oklch(97.1% 0.007 197)
-
Step 100
100
#DFEDEE
oklch(93.6% 0.015 202)
-
Step 200
200
#C5DFE1
oklch(88.5% 0.028 202.3)
-
Step 300
300
#9ACBCE
oklch(80.9% 0.051 200.9)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#51A5AA
oklch(67.2% 0.082 200.6)
-
Step 500
500
#139CA3
oklch(63.1% 0.104 200.6)
-
Step 600
600
#00838A
oklch(55.5% 0.094 201.4)
-
Step 700
700
#006F74
oklch(49.2% 0.084 200.3)
-
Step 800
800
#005B5F
oklch(42.8% 0.073 200)
-
Step 900
900
#004B4F
oklch(37.5% 0.064 200.9)
-
Step 950
950
#042D2F
oklch(27.1% 0.043 199.9)
#51A5AA with color blindness
Simulated with the Machado et al. (2009) model. ΔE is how far the color moves: below about 0.02 you would not notice a change.
| Vision | Seen as | Shift (ΔE) |
|---|---|---|
| Protanopia (no red cones) | #9B9FAA | 0.083 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #8C94AB | 0.077 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #08AAA6 | 0.036 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #989898 | 0.082 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #51A5AA
#51A5AA
oklch(67.2% 0.082 200.6)
- #C38280
#C38280
oklch(67.2% 0.081 21.4)
Analogous
Neighbouring hues, 30° either side.
Split complementary
The two hues beside the complement (150° and 210°).
Triadic
Three hues spaced 120° apart.
Palettes with this color
Curated palettes that contain a color within ΔE 0.04 (OKLab) of #51A5AA, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Cadet Blue #5F9EA0 ΔE 0.022
- Dull Teal #5F9E8F ΔE 0.038
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.043
- Greyblue #77A1B5 ΔE 0.045
- Grey Teal #5E9B8A ΔE 0.046
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.047
- Sea #3C9992 ΔE 0.050
- Persian Green #2A9D8F ΔE 0.054
Use #51A5AA in your product
Turn it into light and dark UI roles checked for contrast, then export to Tailwind v4, shadcn/ui, CSS or design tokens.