Taupe vs Greige

Taupe leans brown; Greige leans orange. The measured difference between their classic values is ΔE 45.2, clearly different colors.

Taupe

RGB: 72, 60, 50
HSL: 27, 18%, 24%
OKLCH: 36.6% 0.024 61.8

Temperature: neutral, leaning warm (subtle orange undertone in this near-neutral)

Closest encyclopedia entry: Batch Brew

Greige

RGB: 184, 174, 156
HSL: 39, 16%, 67%
OKLCH: 75.4% 0.028 82.4

Temperature: neutral, leaning warm (subtle yellow undertone in this near-neutral)

Closest encyclopedia entry: Desert Dune

Measured difference: ΔE 45.2 · clearly different colors. ΔE is a measure of perceived color difference; below 2.3 most people can't tell colors apart.

Guide

How to tell Taupe and Greige apart

1 Greige is measurably lighter (39 points of OKLCH lightness). Squint: the one that survives is Taupe.
2 Their hues sit 21 degrees apart on the wheel. Put them on white side by side and the hue gap is the first thing you see.
3 Check them against a true neutral gray: subtle undertones surface immediately next to something with no undertone at all.

Guide

When to use which

Taupe passes AA for text on white (10.67:1), so it can work in type and trim, not just surfaces.

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

Palettes

Their palettes, side by side

Taupe complementary palette

Greige complementary palette

Taupe analogous palette

Greige analogous palette

FAQ

FAQs

Are Taupe and Greige the same color?

No. Using their classic reference values, they differ by ΔE 45.2 (a measure of perceived color difference; below 2.3 most people can't tell colors apart). That makes them clearly different colors.

Which is darker, Taupe or Greige?

Taupe is darker: 39 points lower in OKLCH lightness than Greige.