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Colours in English

Red, blue, green, yellow — 20 colours and shades with IPA, short explanations and examples you can listen to. Great for kids and adults alike. Three exercises at the end help them stick.

  • 20 colours
  • Audio and IPA
  • For kids and adults
  • 3 exercises
  • No sign-up
To the coloursPractice

How to talk about colours in English

A colour goes before the noun and never changes: a red car, red cars. To ask about a colour, say “What colour is it?” — and answer simply “It’s green”.

Use light and dark for shades: light blue, dark green. British English writes colour and grey, American English color and gray.

Colours in English

From the basic colours to shades. Tap a word or an example to hear it.

Speed
  1. the colour of blood
  2. the colour of an orange
  3. the colour of the sun or a lemon
  4. the colour of grass
  5. the colour of the sky and the sea
  6. a pale blue
  7. red and blue mixed
  8. pale red
  9. the colour of chocolate
  10. the darkest colour
  11. the colour of snow
  12. between black and white (US: gray)
  13. light brown, like sand
  14. the colour of gold
  15. the colour of silver
  16. blue-green
  17. deep, close to black
  18. pale, close to white
  19. red, blue, green… (US: color)
  20. an arc of seven colours in the sky

Practice: test yourself

10 words from the list per round. After every answer you hear the word and the right option lights up.

Choose an exercise

How to learn colours with a child (or on your own)

  • Play “I spy”: “I spy something… red!” — your child looks for something red in the room. Five minutes of play and the colours stick.
  • Sort things by colour and name them aloud: “green apple, yellow banana, red tomato”.
  • Learn colours together with things: “white snow, green grass, blue sky” — it’s easier than single words.
  • Colour idioms are fun for older learners: feeling blue (sad), green with envy, a white lie.

FAQ

Didn’t find your answer? Send us a request — we’ll tell you everything.

Colour or color, grey or gray?

Both are correct: colour and grey are British English, color and gray are American. Pick one style and use it throughout.

How do you ask about colours?

“What colour is your bag?” — “It’s black.” For several things: “What colour are they?” — “They’re white.”

What’s the difference between blue and light blue?

Blue covers every shade from navy to sky blue. Say light blue or pale blue for a soft shade, dark blue or navy for a deep one, and turquoise for blue-green.

At what age can children learn colours in English?

From 3–4, through games, songs and flashcards. The key is using the words in everyday life: on walks, at meals, while getting dressed. At Slay School children start lessons at 7, but at home you can begin earlier.

What’s next

Next step

Keep learning with a mini-course

Short online courses by Slay School teachers: a 15-minute lesson a day with audio, exercises and dialogues, and the words you forget come back on their own.

  • Day 1 is free
  • 15 minutes a day, at your own pace
  • Every word has audio
  • Lifetime access once paid
Start for freeAll mini-courses

All you need to start is an email or a Google account.