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Duolingo Inc.

09/11/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/11/2025 06:02

The most common English color words and how to use them

September 11, 2025Cindy Blanco, Ph.D.

The most common English color words and how to use them

Make your English more colorful with these color words!

September 11, 2025 Cindy Blanco, Ph.D.

Beginner English learners will encounter color words right from the start-these words are essential for things like describing clothes, talking about the weather, and even discussing emotions! There are also many English idioms with color words, so there are many nuances for advanced learners to study, too.

In this post:

Colors in English
Where to put color words in a sentence
English idioms with color words
Example sentences with English color words

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Colors in English

The basic color words in English are:

black
white
red
blue
green
yellow
orange
purple
brown
gray (also grey)
pink

All of these colors are used across the English-speaking world, except for gray, which is spelled differently (but pronounced the same!) depending on where you are. In the U.S. gray is the standard spelling, while grey is used nearly everywhere else, including in the U.K.

And while we're on the topic of spelling differences, the word color itself is spelled differently depending on where in the English-speaking world you are. In the U.S., color is the standard spelling, while colour (notice the -u!) is standard in the U.K. and most other English-speaking places in the world.

English has ways to talk about different shades of colors: Light is used for lighter shades and dark is used for darker shades.

For example:

Vikram's belt is dark blue.
The mug on top of the books is light pink with dark pink writing.

You can also use specific words for different shades:

Vikram's belt is navy and his shirt is magenta.

Where to put color words in a sentence

Like other adjectives in English, color words can appear:

1) Before a noun
For example:
I put the blue plate on the table.

2) After a linking verb (such as be, appear, or seem)
For example:
His hair is white.

English idioms with color words

There are also metaphorical uses of color words in English. Here are English phrases that use color terms:

English color idioms	Meaning
white as a sheet	extremely pale, maybe due to being afraid or upset
white lie	a lie that is small or not important, for example, because it protects someone's feelings
red flag	something that causes concern or is a warning
to see red	to be very angry
to catch someone red-handed	to find someone in the midst of committing a crime
to paint the town red	to go out and enjoy yourself in an extravagant way
red tape	procedures, often coming from the government or another bureaucratic organization, that may feel excessively long or complicated
to catch the red eye	to take a flight that leaves at night and arrives at its destination the next morning
to feel blue	to feel sad or gloomy
out of the blue	happens suddenly without warning or explanation
once in a blue moon	happens only rarely
green with envy	jealous or envious
to give the green light	to give permission to proceed
The grass is always greener (on the other side).	a saying for when you imagine that some other situation or alternative must be better than your own
to have a green thumb	to be skilled at growing plants
yellow journalism	reporting that is based on sensationalism and exaggeration
pink slip	notice that you've been fired
tickled pink	delighted or excited
to see the world through rose-colored glasses	to view the world in an overly positive manner
to brown nose	to suck up or use flattery to advance
gray area	a situation that is unclear, not easily solved, or without clear alternatives
black sheep	different from all the others, especially if perceived to be causing disgrace to the rest of the group
in the black	earning money (in reference to finances and budgets)
black tie	a formal dress code in which men are expected to wear a tuxedo and black bow tie
to be black and white	to be clear-cut with distinct alternatives

Examples with English color words

Here are examples of how to use English color words in a sentence:

Color	Example
black	The black dog sniffed the tree.
	Wow, your new company is already in the black!
	I though the new couch would be black, but instead it was charcoal.
white	The puffy white clouds filled the sky.
	Jessica told a white lie so that she wouldn't spoil the surprise.
	He already has a white sweater, so you should buy him a cream one this year.
red	The child's cheeks turned bright red when their name was called.
	My mom caught my brother red-handed-he still had cookie crumbs on his face!
	We're not looking for a true red, since we think crimson paint will look better in the living room.
blue	This year, everyone's math textbook is blue.
	They only get to see their cousin once in a blue moon.
	All his socks are blue-from azure to sky blue to royal blue.
green	We knew it was finally spring when little green shoots appeared in the garden.
	I finally got the green light to form a new team.
	The emerald green suitcase will be easy to find at the baggage claim.
yellow	Are those plums yellow on the inside?
	That newspaper always exaggerates-it's full of yellow journalism!
	His signature mustard-colored shirts were a specific shade of yellow.
orange	I only wear my orange sweater in October, for Halloween.
orange	All the bridesmaids wore orange, but in the pictures, my sister's dress looks more amber!
purple	When I slipped on the ice, I knew I'd have a purple bruise.
purple	From far away, the painting looks purple, but up close, you see it's a mix of lilac and eggplant-colored dots.
brown	That brown puppy is so cute!
	We're not surprised he got the promotion-he brown-nosed the boss all month.
	The shoes looked chestnut online, but the ones that arrived are dark brown.
gray	It was sunny when I woke up, but now the sky is gray.
	This topic is a gray area at the company, and we don't have a specific policy for it.
	Nearly all my dress pants are black, but my favorite pair is slate gray.
pink	He knew it was a strawberry milkshake because it was pink.
	It was such a nice surprise, and she was really tickled pink that we could make it!
	Her salmon-colored nails weren't the shade of pink that I was expecting.

Add some color to your English!

There's one more English idiom to learn: colorful language . Usually it refers to somebody who's using a lot of words considered rude and offensive. But in today's case, we hope this colorful language helps you advance your English skills!