Vastny Languages editorial team
Colour, color, shade, and tint: what's the difference?
Colour and color are British and American spellings of the same word. A shade is a variation of a colour, such as dark red; it is not one specific colour. In colour mixing, a tint is made lighter by adding white.
Colour and color are British and American spellings of the same word. A shade is a variation of a colour, such as dark red; it is not one specific colour. In colour mixing, a tint is made lighter by adding white.
Which word fits here?
Use colour in British spelling for the general property of being red, blue, green or another colour.
Use color in American spelling. It has the same meaning as colour; keep your spelling style consistent.
Use shade for a particular variation of a colour: a pale shade of blue or a dark shade of red. In technical colour mixing, a shade is darkened with black.
Use tint for a colour made lighter with white in colour mixing, or for a slight colouring such as a green tint in glass.
How to choose a word
Use colour in British spelling for the general property of being red, blue, green or another colour.
Use color in American spelling. It has the same meaning as colour; keep your spelling style consistent.
Use shade for a particular variation of a colour: a pale shade of blue or a dark shade of red. In technical colour mixing, a shade is darkened with black.
Use tint for a colour made lighter with white in colour mixing, or for a slight colouring such as a green tint in glass.
Word by word
colour
Use colour in British spelling for the general property of being red, blue, green or another colour.
What colour is your new coat?
The leaves change colour in autumn.
color
Use color in American spelling. It has the same meaning as colour; keep your spelling style consistent.
You can change the text color in the settings.
Her favorite color is yellow.
shade
Use shade for a particular variation of a colour: a pale shade of blue or a dark shade of red. In technical colour mixing, a shade is darkened with black.
The dress comes in three shades of blue.
I need a darker shade of green for the logo.
tint
Use tint for a colour made lighter with white in colour mixing, or for a slight colouring such as a green tint in glass.
The glass has a slight green tint.
Her cheeks had a faint pink tint after the walk.
