Hue

Hue is one of the perceptual attributes of colour, and is the most prominent quality by which we distinguish one colour from another, i.e. red, yellow, orange, green, blue, magenta, etc.

A colour’s hue is found by determining the most similar colour in the continuous circuit of vivid colours passing through red, yellow, orange, green, blue, magenta, and their intermediate colours. Hue sequences are often presented as a colour wheel, with the order of colours around a colour wheel is the order of colours seen in the spectrum, plus non-spectral hues to complete the circuit.

Note that sometimes the term ‘colour’ and ‘hue’ are used interchangeably, but hue is only one of colour’s attributes, and is not enough to fully describe a colour’s appearance. See the common misconception that discusses why colour and hue do not mean the same thing.

Note that the most vivid example of a hue is often chosen to represent the hue, although all members of a hue family will have the same hue. Also note that it is preferable to refer to hues in plural – there is not a single red hue but rather many red hues. Finally, note that colours have hues; colours are not hues.