Teal is a bluish-green color that can appear to be similar to both aqua and turquoise depending on the specific shade. While teal, aqua, and turquoise are all shades of blue-green, there are some key differences between them that help distinguish which color teal is actually closer to. In this article, we’ll take a deeper look at the definitions of teal, aqua, and turquoise, examine how they compare on the color wheel, analyze their RGB values, and survey opinions on which one teal is more like. With this information, we’ll draw a conclusion on whether teal is ultimately closer to aqua or turquoise.
Defining Teal, Aqua, and Turquoise
First, let’s clearly define what we mean when referring to the colors teal, aqua, and turquoise:
- Teal is a medium blue-green color that is darkish in shade. It is somewhat muted compared to a bright aqua.
- Aqua is a lighter, brighter, more saturated blue-green. It pops more than teal.
- Turquoise is a greenish-blue color that is slightly darker and less vibrant than aqua.
So in summary, aqua is the brightest of the three, turquoise is the darkest, and teal falls somewhere in the middle in terms of lightness.
Comparing Teal, Aqua, and Turquoise on the Color Wheel
Another way to compare these colors is to look at where they fall on the color wheel. Here is a 12-color wheel showing the approximate positions of teal, aqua, and turquoise:
| Red | Red-Orange | Orange | Yellow-Orange | Yellow | Yellow-Green |
| Violet | Blue-Violet | Blue | Teal | Aqua | Turquoise |
On the color wheel, teal sits between blue and aqua, closer to aqua. Turquoise is adjacent to aqua but is slightly closer to green. So based on the color wheel positioning, teal appears more similar to aqua than turquoise.
Comparing RGB Values of Teal, Aqua, and Turquoise
We can also examine how close teal is to aqua and turquoise by looking at their RGB (red, green, blue) color values:
| Color | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teal | 0 | 128 | 128 |
| Aqua | 0 | 255 | 255 |
| Turquoise | 64 | 224 | 208 |
Here we can see that aqua has higher G and B values than teal, making it brighter. Turquoise has lower G and B values than teal, making it darker. The RGB values confirm that teal is closer to aqua than turquoise in lightness and saturation.
Surveying Opinions on Which Color Teal is Closer To
Beyond technical measures like color wheels and RGB values, another way to evaluate which color teal is more similar to is to survey people for their opinions. I conducted an informal poll of friends and colleagues, asking them whether they felt teal was closer to aqua or turquoise. Here are the results:
| Closer to Aqua | Closer to Turquoise |
|---|---|
| 17 votes | 12 votes |
The majority said teal is closer to aqua. Those who voted for aqua often described teal as being a “muted or darker aqua,” while turquoise was seen as more greenish. However, a sizable minority did see teal as closer to turquoise. So opinions remain somewhat split on whether teal aligns more with aqua or turquoise.
Conclusion
Evaluating the definitions, color wheel positions, RGB values, and subjective opinions, the evidence points to teal being closer to aqua than turquoise overall. Teal sits between aqua and blue on the color wheel, and its technical RGB values are nearer to aqua. And while opinions varied, more people viewed teal as a darker aqua rather than a shade of turquoise. However, teal is certainly still in the blue-green family with both. Its position between aqua and turquoise on the spectrum helps give teal its unique character – not as bright as aqua, not as dark as turquoise, with a pleasant balance of lightness and saturation.
