Brown vs. Brunette — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on August 6, 2024
Brown describes a color varying from light tan to dark walnut, while brunette specifically refers to dark brown hair, highlighting the context of usage.
Difference Between Brown and Brunette
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Brown is a versatile color that appears in nature, fashion, and design, encompassing a wide range from light tan shades to deep walnut tones. Whereas, brunette is a term specifically used to describe people with dark brown hair, signifying a human characteristic rather than a general color.
The perception of brown can vary greatly depending on its context, such as in wood, eyes, or textiles, each offering different associations and feelings. On the other hand, brunette typically invokes images of hair color and is often associated with certain stereotypes or characteristics in various cultures.
Brown can be mixed from primary colors, allowing for a broad spectrum of shades in art and design. In contrast, brunette as a hair color encompasses a narrower range, primarily focusing on medium to dark brown shades.
In fashion, brown is celebrated for its earthy, neutral qualities, easily paired with a variety of colors for a balanced look. Brunette, however, often pertains to personal style and grooming, influencing makeup and wardrobe choices based on the contrast and complement to dark hair.
Environmental design uses brown to evoke warmth, stability, and natural beauty, applying it in materials like wood and leather. Meanwhile, brunette can influence beauty standards and preferences, playing a role in societal perceptions of attractiveness and personality traits.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A color ranging from light tan to dark walnut
A term for people with dark brown hair
Usage Context
Can describe colors in nature, fashion, design
Specifically describes hair color
Variability
Broad spectrum of shades
Narrower range, focusing on hair
Cultural Associations
Earthiness, warmth, stability
Beauty standards, personality stereotypes
Application in Design
Used in a wide array of design fields
Influences personal style and grooming
Compare with Definitions
Brown
A color of low brightness and saturation.
The old book's pages turned a soft brown over time.
Brunette
A person with dark brown hair.
The portrait captured the brunette child's smiling face.
Brown
Associated with autumn.
Leaves turn various shades of brown in the fall.
Brunette
Reflects medium to dark brown shades.
Her brunette hair shimmered under the sunlight.
Brown
Earthy color found in nature.
The brown soil was fertile and ready for planting.
Brunette
Sometimes implies stereotypes or attributes.
The novel's heroine was a smart, quick-witted brunette.
Brown
A neutral shade in design.
She chose a warm brown tone for the living room walls.
Brunette
Often used to describe women's hair color.
She decided to dye her hair and became a brunette.
Brown
Color of many types of wood.
The antique table was crafted from rich, dark brown mahogany.
Brunette
Can denote a certain demographic in beauty.
The makeup brand launched colors flattering for brunettes.
Brown
Brown is a composite color. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is made by combining red, black, and yellow, or red, yellow, and blue.
Brunette
Having brown hair.
Brown
Of a colour produced by mixing red, yellow, and blue, as of dark wood or rich soil
She had warm brown eyes
An old brown coat
Brunette
A girl or woman with brown hair.
Brown
Dark-skinned or suntanned
His face was brown from the sun
Brunette
(of hair, eyes, skin, etc.) Of a dark color or tone.
Brown
Brown colour or pigment
The brown of his eyes
The print is rich with velvety browns
A pair of boots in brown
Brunette
(of a person) Having brown or black hair and, often, dark eyes and darkish or olive skin.
Brown
A brown thing, in particular the brown ball in snooker.
Brunette
A person, especially female, with brown or black hair and, often, dark eyes and darkish or olive skin.
Brown
A satyrid butterfly, which typically has brown wings with small eyespots.
Brunette
A person with dark (brown) hair
Brown
Another term for coloured (sense 2 of the noun)
Brunette
Marked by dark or relatively dark pigmentation of hair or skin or eyes;
A brunette beauty
Brown
Make or become brown, typically by cooking
Grill the pizza until the cheese has browned
A skillet in which food has been browned
Brown
Any of a group of colors between red and yellow in hue that are medium to low in lightness and low to moderate in saturation.
Brown
Of the color brown.
Brown
Having a brownish or dark skin color.
Brown
Often Offensive Of or being a person of nonwhite origin.
Brown
Deeply suntanned.
Brown
To make or become brown.
Brown
To cook until brown.
Brown
A colour like that of chocolate or coffee.
The browns and greens in this painting give it a nice woodsy feel.
Brown
One of the colour balls used in snooker, with a value of 4 points.
Brown
(uncountable) Black tar heroin.
Brown
A copper coin.
Brown
A brown horse or other animal.
Brown
A person of Latino, Middle Eastern or South Asian descent; a brown-skinned person; someone of mulatto or biracial appearance.
Brown
(entomology) Any of various nymphalid butterflies of subfamily Satyrinae (formerly the family Satyridae).
Brown
(entomology) Any of certain species of nymphalid butterflies of subfamily Satyrinae, such as those of the genera Heteronympha and Melanitis.
Brown
(informal) A brown trout (Salmo trutta).
Brown
A mass of birds or animals that may be indiscriminately fired at.
Brown
Having a brown colour.
Brown
(obsolete) Gloomy.
Brown
(sometimes capitalized) Of or relating to any of various ethnic groups having dark pigmentation of the skin.
Brown
(US) Latino
Brown
(of Asians) South Asian
Brown
(of East Asians) Southeast Asian
Brown
(intransitive) To become brown.
Fry the onions until they brown.
Brown
To cook something until it becomes brown.
Brown
To tan.
Light-skinned people tend to brown when exposed to the sun.
Brown
(transitive) To make brown or dusky.
Brown
(transitive) To give a bright brown colour to, as to gun barrels, by forming a thin coating of oxide on their surface.
Brown
To turn progressively more Hispanic or Latino, in the context of the population of a geographic region.
The browning of America
Brown
Of a dark color, of various shades between black and red or yellow.
Cheeks brown as the oak leaves.
Brown
A dark color inclining to red or yellow, resulting from the mixture of red and black, or of red, black, and yellow; a tawny, dusky hue.
Brown
To make brown or dusky.
A trembling twilight o'er welkin moves,Browns the dim void and darkens deep the groves.
Brown
To make brown by scorching slightly; as, to brown meat or flour.
Brown
To give a bright brown color to, as to gun barrels, by forming a thin coat of oxide on their surface.
Brown
To become brown.
Brown
An orange of low brightness and saturation
Brown
Scottish botanist who first observed the movement of small particles in fluids now known a Brownian motion (1773-1858)
Brown
Abolitionist who was hanged after leading an unsuccessful raid at Harper's Ferry, Virginia (1800-1858)
Brown
A university in Rhode Island
Brown
Fry in a pan until it changes color;
Brown the meat in the pan
Brown
Of a color similar to that of wood or earth
Common Curiosities
Can "brunette" influence fashion choices?
Yes, being a brunette might influence makeup and clothing color choices to complement dark hair.
Are there different shades within "brown" and "brunette"?
Yes, "brown" encompasses a wider range of shades, while "brunette" focuses on medium to dark hair colors.
Can "brunette" refer to both men and women?
Yes, while more commonly used for women, "brunette" can describe anyone with dark brown hair.
How do cultural perceptions of "brown" and "brunette" differ?
Cultural perceptions vary widely, with "brown" often seen as earthy and stable, and "brunette" associated with specific beauty standards or characteristics.
Is "brown" only related to color?
No, while primarily a color, "brown" can refer to natural elements, materials, and feelings of warmth and earthiness.
Does the term "brunette" have a positive or negative connotation?
The connotation can vary culturally, but it is generally neutral, sometimes leaning towards positive beauty standards.
Are there stereotypes associated with brunettes?
Yes, stereotypes exist but vary widely across cultures and contexts, often related to intelligence or temperament.
Can "brown" evoke emotional responses?
Yes, brown can evoke feelings of warmth, stability, and comfort, depending on its use and context.
Is "brown" used in design more broadly than "brunette"?
Yes, "brown" is used across various design fields, whereas "brunette" is specific to hair color and related style considerations.
Do "brown" and "brunette" have the same origin?
Both terms originate from Old English and French, respectively, but have evolved differently in usage and context.
Is "brunette" considered a neutral color in fashion?
"Brunette" is not a color in fashion but a hair color that can influence neutral or complementary color choices in fashion.
How do environmental designers use "brown"?
They use brown to evoke natural beauty, warmth, and stability in spaces through materials like wood and textiles.
How has the perception of "brown" and "brunette" changed over time?
Perceptions have evolved with cultural trends, with both terms embracing broader and more inclusive meanings and associations.
Can "brown" colors be artificially created?
Yes, brown colors can be mixed using primary colors in art and design, unlike the natural occurrence of brunette hair.
Is "brunette" a popular hair color globally?
Yes, brunette is a common hair color worldwide, with a significant portion of the global population having naturally dark brown hair.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
