Tan vs. Brown — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 17, 2023
Tan is a light brown shade often resulting from sun exposure, while brown is a darker, earthy color encompassing a wide range of hues.
Difference Between Tan and Brown
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Tan and brown both belong to the brown color spectrum, but they differ primarily in depth and saturation. While tan usually refers to a pale shade of brown reminiscent of sun-exposed skin, brown is a general term for the rich, warm hues seen in wood, soil, and many natural elements.
The word tan often has connotations related to the effect of the sun on skin. When someone says they are getting a tan, it means their skin is darkening due to sun exposure. Brown, on the other hand, doesn't carry this specific association and is used more broadly to describe the color of numerous objects and materials.
In terms of aesthetics and design, tan is often used to evoke feelings of warmth, lightness, and beachy environments. Brown, with its many variations from light to dark, is versatile and can convey both coziness and seriousness, depending on its shade.
Both tan and brown are neutral colors, making them suitable for a variety of contexts and combinations with other colors. However, where tan might be preferred for lighter, summer-themed palettes, brown is often chosen for richer, deeper, and earthy tones.
When considering fabrics and materials, tan often refers to undyed leather or hide, maintaining its natural light-brown hue. Brown, on the other hand, can describe a range of materials, from dark wood to chocolate.
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Comparison Chart
Associated Imagery
Sun-exposed skin, beaches
Wood, soil, chocolate
Use in Context
Describes lighter shades of brown
General term for a range of hues
Connotations
Sun exposure, lightness
Earthy, rich, warm
Presence in Nature
Sand, some animal furs
Bark, soil, certain animals
Variation in Shades
Limited to light brown hues
Vast, from light to very dark
Compare with Definitions
Tan
A pale brown color.
Her shoes were a sandy tan.
Brown
An earthy color ranging from light to dark.
The brown table was made of oak.
Tan
The result of sun exposure on the skin.
After her vacation, she had a deep tan.
Brown
Representing warmth and reliability.
Her eyes were a deep shade of brown.
Tan
Undyed leather or hide.
The handbag was made of tan leather.
Brown
A natural color often seen in the environment.
The brown soil was rich and fertile.
Tan
Lighter than brown but darker than beige.
The walls were painted a neutral tan.
Brown
Can have cool or warm undertones.
The brown sweater had a reddish hue.
Tan
To convert (an animal hide) into leather by subjecting it to a chemical process that stabilizes the proteins, making it less susceptible to decay.
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.
Tan
To make (a person or a person's skin) darker by exposure to the sun.
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
Tan
To make (a person or a person's skin) darker by exposure to artificial sunlight or by the application of certain chemicals, often in the form of sprays or lotions.
Brown
Dark-skinned or suntanned
His face was brown from the sun
Tan
(Informal) To thrash; beat.
Brown
Brown colour or pigment
The brown of his eyes
The print is rich with velvety browns
A pair of boots in brown
Tan
To become darker from exposure to the sun or artificial sunlight, or from the application of certain chemicals.
Brown
A brown thing, in particular the brown ball in snooker.
Tan
A light or moderate yellowish brown to brownish orange.
Brown
A satyrid butterfly, which typically has brown wings with small eyespots.
Tan
A suntan.
Brown
Another term for coloured (sense 2 of the noun)
Tan
An artificially created suntan.
Brown
Make or become brown, typically by cooking
Grill the pizza until the cheese has browned
A skillet in which food has been browned
Tan
Tanbark.
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.
Tan
Tannin.
Brown
Of the color brown.
Tan
A solution derived from tannin.
Brown
Having a brownish or dark skin color.
Tan
See Tanka.
Brown
Often Offensive Of or being a person of nonwhite origin.
Tan
Light or moderate yellowish-brown to brownish-orange.
Brown
Deeply suntanned.
Tan
Having a suntan or the appearance of a suntan.
Brown
To make or become brown.
Tan
Used in or relating to tanning.
Brown
To cook until brown.
Tan
A yellowish-brown colour.
Brown
A colour like that of chocolate or coffee.
The browns and greens in this painting give it a nice woodsy feel.
Tan
A darkening of the skin resulting from exposure to sunlight or similar light sources.
She still has a tan from her vacation in Mexico.
I'm hoping to get a tan this weekend at the beach.
Brown
One of the colour balls used in snooker, with a value of 4 points.
Tan
The bark of an oak or other tree from which tannic acid is obtained.
Brown
(uncountable) Black tar heroin.
Tan
An Armenian drink made of yoghurt and water similar to airan and doogh
Brown
A copper coin.
Tan
Syn of picul, particularly in Cantonese contexts.
Brown
A brown horse or other animal.
Tan
(dialectal) A twig or small switch.
Brown
A person of Latino, Middle Eastern or South Asian descent; a brown-skinned person; someone of mulatto or biracial appearance.
Tan
Yellowish-brown.
Mine is the white car parked next to the tan pickup truck.
Brown
(entomology) Any of various nymphalid butterflies of subfamily Satyrinae (formerly the family Satyridae).
Tan
Having dark skin as a result of exposure to the sun or an artificial process intended to mimic this effect.
You’re looking very tan this week.
Brown
(entomology) Any of certain species of nymphalid butterflies of subfamily Satyrinae, such as those of the genera Heteronympha and Melanitis.
Tan
To change to a tan colour due to exposure to the sun.
No matter how long I stay out in the sun, I never tan, though I do burn.
Brown
(informal) A brown trout (Salmo trutta).
Tan
To change an animal hide into leather by soaking it in tannic acid. To work as a tanner.
Brown
A mass of birds or animals that may be indiscriminately fired at.
Tan
To spank or beat.
Brown
Having a brown colour.
Tan
To kill by gun, to shoot.
Brown
(obsolete) Gloomy.
Tan
The second cardinal number two, formerly used in Celtic areas, especially Cumbria and parts of Yorkshire, for counting sheep, and stitches in knitting.
Brown
(sometimes capitalized) Of or relating to any of various ethnic groups having dark pigmentation of the skin.
Tan
See Picul.
Brown
(US) Latino
Tan
The bark of the oak, and some other trees, bruised and broken by a mill, for tanning hides; - so called both before and after it has been used. Called also tan bark.
Brown
(of Asians) South Asian
Tan
A yellowish-brown color, like that of tan.
Brown
(of East Asians) Southeast Asian
Tan
A brown color imparted to the skin by exposure to the sun; as, hands covered with tan.
Brown
(intransitive) To become brown.
Fry the onions until they brown.
Tan
Of the color of tan; yellowish-brown.
Brown
To cook something until it becomes brown.
Tan
To convert (the skin of an animal) into leather, as by usual process of steeping it in an infusion of oak or some other bark, whereby it is impregnated with tannin, or tannic acid (which exists in several species of bark), and is thus rendered firm, durable, and in some degree impervious to water.
Brown
To tan.
Light-skinned people tend to brown when exposed to the sun.
Tan
To make brown; to imbrown, as by exposure to the rays of the sun; as, to tan the skin.
Brown
(transitive) To make brown or dusky.
Tan
To thrash or beat; to flog; to switch; as, to tan a disobedient child's hide.
Brown
(transitive) To give a bright brown colour to, as to gun barrels, by forming a thin coating of oxide on their surface.
Tan
To get or become tanned.
Brown
To turn progressively more Hispanic or Latino, in the context of the population of a geographic region.
The browning of America
Tan
A browning of the skin resulting from exposure to the rays of the sun
Brown
Of a dark color, of various shades between black and red or yellow.
Cheeks brown as the oak leaves.
Tan
A light brown
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.
Tan
Ratio of the opposite to the adjacent side of a right-angled triangle
Brown
To make brown or dusky.
A trembling twilight o'er welkin moves,Browns the dim void and darkens deep the groves.
Tan
Treat skins and hides with tannic acid so as to convert them into leather
Brown
To make brown by scorching slightly; as, to brown meat or flour.
Tan
Get a tan, from wind or sun
Brown
To give a bright brown color to, as to gun barrels, by forming a thin coat of oxide on their surface.
Tan
Of a light yellowish-brown color
Brown
To become brown.
Tan
Often associated with summer and beaches.
The tan umbrella shaded us from the sun.
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
Brown
Color of wood, soil, and chocolate.
He loves brown leather jackets.
Common Curiosities
Can "tan" refer to sun exposure?
Yes, a tan often refers to skin darkening from sun exposure.
Are tan and brown the same color?
No, tan is a specific pale brown shade, while brown encompasses a broader range of hues.
Which is darker, tan or brown?
Generally, brown is darker, but it has many shades, some of which can be light.
Is tan a natural leather color?
Yes, tan often describes undyed leather retaining its natural hue.
Are there many shades of brown?
Absolutely, brown has a vast spectrum from very light to very dark.
Which is more specific, tan or brown?
Tan is more specific, referring to a certain light brown shade.
Can brown have different undertones?
Yes, brown can have cool (bluish) or warm (reddish) undertones.
Is tan considered a neutral color?
Yes, tan is a neutral color and pairs well with many other colors.
What feelings does brown often convey?
Brown can convey warmth, earthiness, and reliability.
Is tan always associated with the sun?
While tan often relates to sun exposure, it can also just refer to the color.
What's another word for a light brown?
"Beige" is another term for a light brown, similar to tan.
Is brown always associated with nature?
Often, as many natural elements like soil, wood, and bark are brown.
Can tan be used to describe materials other than leather?
Yes, tan can describe any material or object with that particular shade.
Can brown describe foods?
Yes, foods like chocolate, coffee, and some bread are often described as brown.
Is tan popular in fashion?
Yes, tan is a versatile color, especially in summer and beach-themed styles.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
