#51BEC5
Closest named color: Dark Turquoise (#00CED1). oklch(74.2% 0.099 201.1), rgb(81, 190, 197).
Aa
Black text reads best on this color (9.52:1).
About this color
#51BEC5 is a medium-light, moderately saturated teal or cyan. In OKLCH its lightness is 74%, its chroma 0.099 and its hue 201°. Its hue sits on the cool side of the wheel. The nearest named color is Dark Turquoise (#00CED1), ΔE 0.045 away. Black text reads best on it, at 9.52:1.
| Hue family | Teals and cyans |
| Lightness | medium-light (74%) |
| Chroma | moderately saturated (0.099) |
| Temperature | cool |
| Nearest name | Dark Turquoise (#00CED1) |
| Black text | 9.52:1 |
| White text | 2.20:1 |
Values
| HEX | #51BEC5 |
| RGB | rgb(81, 190, 197) |
| HSL | hsl(184, 50%, 55%) |
| OKLCH | oklch(74.2% 0.099 201.1) |
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 #51BEC5 | 2.20:1 | Fails | Lc -47.9 | Large or bold text, headings |
| Black text on #51BEC5 | 9.52:1 | AAA | Lc 60.8 | Content text, not long reading |
| #51BEC5 text on white | 2.20:1 | Fails | Lc 43.2 | Non-text elements, placeholder text |
| #51BEC5 text on black | 9.52:1 | AAA | Lc -59.0 | 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
#EFF7F8
oklch(97% 0.009 205.9)
-
Step 100
100
#DDEEEF
oklch(93.7% 0.018 201.1)
-
Step 200
200
#C0E0E2
oklch(88.4% 0.034 201.2)
-
Step 300
300
#91CDD1
oklch(80.9% 0.062 201.2)
-
Step 400
400 (this color)
#51BEC5
oklch(74.2% 0.099 201.1)
-
Step 500
500
#009CA4
oklch(63% 0.107 201.2)
-
Step 600
600
#00838A
oklch(55.5% 0.094 201.4)
-
Step 700
700
#006E74
oklch(49% 0.083 201.4)
-
Step 800
800
#005B5F
oklch(42.8% 0.073 200)
-
Step 900
900
#004B50
oklch(37.6% 0.064 202.5)
-
Step 950
950
#002D30
oklch(27% 0.046 201.8)
#51BEC5 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) | #B1B6C6 | 0.101 |
| Deuteranopia (no green cones) | #9FA9C6 | 0.093 |
| Tritanopia (no blue cones) | #00C5C0 | 0.034 |
| Achromatopsia (no color) | #AFAFAF | 0.100 |
Harmonies
Hue rotations in OKLCH that keep this color's lightness and chroma.
Complementary
The opposite hue (180°).
- #51BEC5
#51BEC5
oklch(74.2% 0.099 201.1)
- #E39290
#E39290
oklch(74.2% 0.099 21.2)
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 #51BEC5, closest first.
Similar named colors
The eight closest entries in our named color list, with their ΔE distance.
- Dark Turquoise #00CED1 ΔE 0.045
- Topaz #13BBAF ΔE 0.045
- Turquoise Blue #06B1C4 ΔE 0.052
- Medium Turquoise #48D1CC ΔE 0.052
- Light Sea Green #20B2AA ΔE 0.057
- Vivid Sky Blue #4CC9F0 ΔE 0.062
- Pale Teal #82CBB2 ΔE 0.068
- Medium Aquamarine #66CDAA ΔE 0.069
Use #51BEC5 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.