Lilac vs Mauve

Lilac and Mauve are both purples, but they are not the same color: the measured difference between their classic values is ΔE 4.7, close: they read as matching at a glance.

Lilac

RGB: 206, 162, 253
HSL: 269, 96%, 81%
OKLCH: 78.5% 0.134 305.7

Temperature: neutral, leaning cool

Closest encyclopedia entry: Lilac

Mauve

RGB: 224, 176, 255
HSL: 276, 100%, 85%
OKLCH: 82.7% 0.119 311.6

Temperature: neutral, leaning cool

Closest encyclopedia entry: Mauve

Measured difference: ΔE 4.7 · close: they read as matching at a glance. ΔE is a measure of perceived color difference; below 2.3 most people can't tell colors apart.

Guide

How to tell Lilac and Mauve apart

1 Mauve is measurably lighter (4 points of OKLCH lightness). Squint: the one that survives is Lilac.
2 Check them against a true neutral gray: subtle undertones surface immediately next to something with no undertone at all.

Guide

When to use which

Lilac is a surface color: it needs a dark background before it can carry text.

Mauve is a surface color: it needs a dark background before it can carry text.

Palettes

Their palettes, side by side

Lilac complementary palette

Mauve complementary palette

Lilac analogous palette

Mauve analogous palette

FAQ

FAQs

Are Lilac and Mauve the same color?

No. Using their classic reference values, they differ by ΔE 4.7 (a measure of perceived color difference; below 2.3 most people can't tell colors apart). That makes them close: they read as matching at a glance.

Which is darker, Lilac or Mauve?

Lilac is darker: 4 points lower in OKLCH lightness than Mauve.