≈ Muddy
#A23706 is closest to Muddy in our library. Muddy (#A23706) is a medium, vivid brown with a warm feel. It has a hue angle of 19° and a lightness of 49%. Its strong saturation makes it eye-catching, so use it with intent and let neutrals do the rest.
About this color
What Muddy looks like, feels like and where it works.
Description
Muddy (#A23706) is a medium, vivid brown with a warm feel. It has a hue angle of 19° and a lightness of 49%. Its strong saturation makes it eye-catching, so use it with intent and let neutrals do the rest.
Psychology
Brown is earthy, dependable and warm. It feels natural and unpretentious, and pairs easily with cream, green and terracotta. As a mid-toned shade, Muddy sits comfortably in the middle: present but not heavy.
Meaning
Brown stands for soil, wood, coffee and leather: comfort, craft and reliability.
Why use this color
Muddy is a confident accent. It carries white text well, so it works as a button, header or badge background. Pair it with its tints and shades for a complete scale.
Applications
- Coffee, food and craft goods
- Interiors and furniture
- Outdoor and heritage brands
- Warm neutrals for text and borders
History
Earth pigments such as umber and sienna, named after Umbria and Siena, are among the oldest in use. Brown is also one of the oldest color words in English.
Accessibility
White text on Muddy has a contrast ratio of 6.80:1 (AA); black text has 3.08:1 (fails for body text). WCAG AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text and interface parts. Red and green are the pair most often confused in color blindness, so never use this color alone to mean success or error: add an icon or label.
Variations of Muddy
Tailwind-style scale
Color harmonies of Muddy
Want to explore these on a wheel? Open the color wheel.
Color blindness simulator
These are approximations to help you check that meaning never depends on color alone. Real vision varies from person to person.