#51BCBC
Closest named color: Topaz (#13BBAF). oklch(73.4% 0.098 195.2), rgb(81, 188, 188).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.26:1).
About this color
#51BCBC is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 73%, its chroma 0.098 and its hue 195°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Topaz (#13BBAF), ΔE 0.036 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.26:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (73%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.098) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Topaz (#13BBAF) |
| Black text | 9.26:1 |
| White text | 2.26:1 |
Values
| HEX | #51BCBC |
| RGB | rgb(81, 188, 188) |
| HSL | hsl(180, 44%, 53%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(73.4% 0.098 195.2) |
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 #51BCBC | 2.26:1 | Fails | Lc -49.2 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #51BCBC | 9.26:1 | AAA | Lc 59.6 | Large or bold text, headings |
| #51BCBC text on white | 2.26:1 | Fails | Lc 44.4 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #51BCBC text on black | 9.26:1 | AAA | Lc -57.7 | 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
#DDEEED
oklch(93.6% 0.018 192.6)
-
Step 200
200
#C0E1E0
oklch(88.6% 0.035 194.3)
-
Step 300
300
#92CDCD
oklch(80.8% 0.06 196)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#51BCBC
oklch(73.4% 0.098 195.2)
-
Step 500
500
#009D9E
oklch(63.1% 0.108 195.6)
-
Step 600
600
#008485
oklch(55.6% 0.095 195.7)
-
Step 700
700
#006F70
oklch(49.1% 0.084 195.9)
-
Step 800
800
#005B5B
oklch(42.7% 0.073 194.8)
-
Step 900
900
#004C4C
oklch(37.7% 0.064 194.8)
-
Step 950
950
#002D2D
oklch(26.9% 0.046 194.8)
#51BCBC 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) | #B1B4BC | 0.102 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9FA7BD | 0.094 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C1BC | 0.029 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #ACACAC | 0.098 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #51BCBC
#51BCBC
oklch(73.4% 0.098 195.2)
- #DF8F95
#DF8F95
oklch(73.3% 0.098 14.9)
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 #51BCBC, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.036
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.047
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.050
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.051
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.057
- Greeny Blue #42B395 ΔE 0.059
- Medium Aquamarine #66CDAA ΔE 0.065
- Pale Teal #82CBB2 ΔE 0.068
Use #51BCBC 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.