Colors in English
Do more with this exercise
Learn the names of the colours in English: red, blue, green and more. Look at each colour, read the word and its example, and listen to it. Then do the exercises.
Basic colours
red
My car is red.
orange
That pen is orange.
yellow
Her bike is yellow.
green
The trees are green.
blue
She's got blue eyes.
purple
Is your bag purple?
brown
He's got brown hair.
black
My cat is black.
white
These shoes are white.
More colours
pinka light red
Her room is pink.
greybetween black and white (US: gray)
My grandfather has got grey hair.
gold
That watch is gold.
silver
My phone is silver.
Light and dark colours
light blueblue with a lot of white in it
The sky is light blue today.
dark blueblue with a lot of black in it
His jacket is dark blue.
light brownbrown with a lot of white in it
My sister has got light brown hair.
dark greengreen with a lot of black in it
Those doors are dark green.
The word colour
colourred, blue and green are colours (US: color)
Red is my favourite colour.
Practice exercises
Match the Colours
Match each word with its colour.
Choose a word on the left, then its match on the right.
Choose the Correct Answer
Choose the correct answer.
7.Milk is ___.
8.Bananas are ___.
9.The sky is ___ today. It's a sunny day.
10.He's got ___.
11.The colour between black and white is ___.
12.The American spelling of colour is ___.
Fill in the Blank
Type the colour. Look at the hint.
Put the Words in Order
Click the words in the correct order to build the sentence.
19. Build the sentence:
20. Build the sentence:
21. Build the sentence:
Colours in English: A Short Guide
Colours are everywhere: in your home, in the street, on people. The names of colours are short and easy, and they are very useful words for a beginner.
In a sentence, a colour goes before a noun: a red car, a green bag, blue eyes. After the verb to be, it goes alone at the end: My car is red. The trees are green. A colour has no -s, so we say two red cars, not two reds cars.
Light and dark make a colour change: light blue is blue with a lot of white in it, and dark blue is blue with a lot of black in it. Put light or dark before the colour.
For people, colours are good with have got: She's got blue eyes. He's got brown hair. My grandfather has got grey hair. For yellow hair, the word is blond or fair.
British and American English are a little different here. Colour and grey are British. Color and gray are American. They are the same words, so both spellings are correct. The exercises above practice all these colours.
Frequently asked questions
What are the basic colors in English?
The basic colours are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, brown, black, white and grey. Gold and silver are colours too.
Is it colour or color? Grey or gray?
Both are correct. Colour and grey are British English. Color and gray are American English. The sound is the same. Choose one and use it every time in a text.
Where does the colour go in a sentence?
Before the noun: a red car, blue eyes. Or after the verb to be: The car is red. A colour has no plural: red cars, not reds cars.
How do I say light and dark colours?
Put light or dark before the colour: light blue, dark green, light brown. A light colour has a lot of white in it. A dark colour has a lot of black in it.
How do I talk about eyes and hair?
Use have got or has got and a colour: I've got brown eyes. She's got black hair. For yellow hair, say blond or fair hair, not yellow hair.
Answer key
1. red
Answer: 🔴
This circle is red.
2. yellow
Answer: 🟡
This circle is yellow, like a banana.
3. green
Answer: 🟢
This circle is green, like a tree.
4. blue
Answer: 🔵
This circle is blue, like the sky.
5. purple
Answer: 🟣
This circle is purple: red and blue together.
6. brown
Answer: 🟤
This circle is brown, like coffee.
7. Milk is ___.
Answer: white
Milk is white.
8. Bananas are ___.
Answer: yellow
Bananas are yellow.
9. The sky is ___ today. It's a sunny day.
Answer: blue
On a sunny day, the sky is blue.
10. He's got ___.
Answer: brown hair
The colour goes before the noun: brown hair. A colour never takes -s.
11. The colour between black and white is ___.
Answer: grey
Grey (US: gray) is between black and white.
12. The American spelling of colour is ___.
Answer: color
Colour is British English. Color is American English. Both are correct.
13. My grandmother has got ___ hair.
Answer: white
The hint is white. White hair is the hair of many grandparents.
14. She's got ___ eyes.
Answer: green
The hint is green. The colour goes before eyes.
15. These pens are ___.
Answer: purple
The hint is purple. These pens are plural, but purple has no -s.
16. The sky is ___ today. It's cold and rainy.
Answer: grey
Grey is between black and white. Grey is British and gray is American: both are correct.
17. His jacket is ___ blue, not light blue.
Answer: dark
Not light blue, so it is dark blue.
18. Red is my favourite ___.
Answer: colour
Red, blue and green are colours. Colour is British and color is American: both are correct.
19. eyes / got / she's / . / blue
Answer: She's got blue eyes.
The order is she's got + colour + eyes.
20. dark / is / green / bag / my / .
Answer: My bag is dark green.
Dark comes before the colour: dark green.
21. grey / has / hair / got / grandfather / my / .
Answer: My grandfather has got grey hair.
The order is my grandfather + has got + grey hair. The colour goes before hair.