Colors that go with teal

#008080 · cool cyan · hue 180° · best text: #FFFFFF

Ten combinations ranked by measurable criteria — hue harmony, WCAG contrast with teal, lightness spread and saturation compatibility. Every pairing lists why it works.

Ready-to-use palette

#008080
#AFEEEE
#A5FBD5
#FFFFB6
#C19A6B
#FAFAF9
#008080 #afeeee #a5fbd5 #ffffb6 #c19a6b #fafaf9
#008080 #AFEEEE #A5FBD5 #FFFFB6 #C19A6B #FAFAF9
Open in palette generator →Full teal page →

Best combinations — ranked

#1

Paleturquoise #AFEEEE

· Same hue family as teal (Δh 0°) — guaranteed harmony
· UI contrast with the anchor (3.7:1, passes AA large text)
· Strong lightness separation (ΔL* 42) — clear visual hierarchy
contrast
3.7:1
vs teal
#2

Pale Turquoise #A5FBD5

· Analogous hue (Δh ≈27°) — neighbors on the color wheel
· UI contrast with the anchor (3.95:1, passes AA large text)
· Strong lightness separation (ΔL* 44) — clear visual hierarchy
contrast
4.0:1
vs teal
#3

Creme #FFFFB6

· Triadic harmony (Δh ≈120°) — balanced three-way contrast
· Text-safe contrast with the anchor (4.6:1, passes WCAG AA)
· Strong lightness separation (ΔL* 50) — clear visual hierarchy
contrast
4.6:1
vs teal
#4

Camel #C19A6B

· Split-complementary angle (Δh ≈147°) — strong but softer than direct complement
· Close value pairing (1.84:1) — use for large surfaces, not small text
contrast
1.8:1
vs teal
#5

Dirty Pink #CA7B80

· Complementary hue (Δh ≈176°) — maximum hue contrast
· Close value pairing (1.51:1) — use for large surfaces, not small text
contrast
1.5:1
vs teal
#6

Light Beige #FFFEB6

· Triadic harmony (Δh ≈121°) — balanced three-way contrast
· Text-safe contrast with the anchor (4.57:1, passes WCAG AA)
· Strong lightness separation (ΔL* 50) — clear visual hierarchy
contrast
4.6:1
vs teal
#7

Cream #FFFDD0

· Triadic harmony (Δh ≈123°) — balanced three-way contrast
· Text-safe contrast with the anchor (4.59:1, passes WCAG AA)
· Strong lightness separation (ΔL* 50) — clear visual hierarchy
contrast
4.6:1
vs teal
#8

Lightyellow #FFFFE0

· Triadic harmony (Δh ≈120°) — balanced three-way contrast
· Text-safe contrast with the anchor (4.69:1, passes WCAG AA)
· Strong lightness separation (ΔL* 51) — clear visual hierarchy
contrast
4.7:1
vs teal
#9

Beige #F5F5DC

· Triadic harmony (Δh ≈120°) — balanced three-way contrast
· UI contrast with the anchor (4.31:1, passes AA large text)
· Strong lightness separation (ΔL* 48) — clear visual hierarchy
contrast
4.3:1
vs teal
#10

Pale Mauve #FED0FC

· Triadic harmony (Δh ≈123°) — balanced three-way contrast
· UI contrast with the anchor (3.56:1, passes AA large text)
· Strong lightness separation (ΔL* 40) — clear visual hierarchy
contrast
3.6:1
vs teal

Why these and not others

Pairings are scored against hue-harmony angles (0°/30°/60°/90°/120°/150°/180°), WCAG contrast ratio with teal, lightness separation and saturation/chroma compatibility. Near-identical colors (ΔE₀₀ < 3.5) are excluded — every entry adds real information.

FAQ

What colors go with teal?

Paleturquoise, Pale Turquoise, Creme, Camel and Dirty Pink rank highest for teal (#008080) by hue harmony, contrast and saturation compatibility. The full ranked list is on this page with the reasoning for each pairing.

What is the complementary color of teal?

The complementary hue of teal (hue 180°) sits at hue 0°. The closest named colors on that side of the wheel are listed in the combinations above.

Is teal a warm or cool color?

Teal is a cool color (hue 180°). It pairs naturally with crisp whites and cool grays.