The main difference between Turquoise and Teal is hue — Turquoise is a cool-leaning teal, while Teal is a cool cyan. Turquoise (#40E0D0) and Teal (#008080) are similar colors often confused. They differ in brightness, saturation, and undertone, making each better suited for different design contexts.
Four real design scenarios, with the recommended pick based on hue, saturation, and WCAG contrast.
Teal is more saturated (100% HSL vs 72%) so it reads as bolder and more memorable at logo scale, while Turquoise can feel washed out when printed small.
Teal hits a 4.77:1 WCAG contrast against white — safer for text-heavy interfaces — where Turquoise only reaches 1.64:1 and risks failing AA at small body sizes.
Turquoise is a cool-leaning tone that flatters spring/summer collections and warmer skin undertones, while Teal leans cooler and is better suited to autumn/winter layering.
Turquoise is the more muted of the two (72% saturation) and sits more calmly on large wall surfaces, while Teal's higher chroma can overwhelm a room when used beyond accent pieces.
Turquoise (#40E0D0) is a medium, vivid teal with a cool-leaning undertone — it feels balanced, versatile and bright, energetic, eye-catching.
Teal (#008080) is a dark, vivid cyan with a cool undertone — it feels rich, serious, substantial and bright, energetic, eye-catching.
Text legibility depends on the contrast ratio between foreground and background. WCAG 2.1 AA requires at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text; AAA requires 7:1. Use these numbers to choose accessible combinations for your design.
Each color has a dedicated page with shades, tints, CSS name, pairings, and color psychology.