Teal is a blue-green color that falls right between blue and green on the color spectrum, like the color of tropical ocean water on a sunny day. The shade gets its name from the common teal, a small duck with distinctive blue-green feathers around its eyes.

You'll see teal in nature: peacock feathers, certain gemstones like turquoise, and shallow Caribbean seas all display variations of teal. In design and fashion, teal appears everywhere from websites to sneakers because it's a color that feels both calm and energetic at the same time.

The exact shade of teal can vary. Some versions lean more toward blue, while others look greener. When someone describes something as teal, they usually mean a medium-toned blue-green that's more vibrant than gray-blue but not as bright as turquoise. If you mix blue and green paint together in roughly equal amounts, you'll create something close to teal.