Have you ever taken a color vision test and wondered whether you could really see every color the way other people do?

Color vision tests are commonly used to identify color vision deficiency, a condition that is often inherited. People with color vision deficiency may have difficulty telling certain colors apart, especially when two shades look very similar.

And here’s the interesting part: many people with color vision deficiency don’t even realize they have it.

Some people discover it during everyday situations, such as trying to identify the colors on a traffic light, choosing matching clothes, reading a color-coded chart, or deciding whether a piece of fruit is ripe.

There are several types of color vision deficiency. The most common forms affect how people distinguish between red and green, while other forms can make it difficult to tell certain blue and yellow shades apart.

But before we get to the challenge, there’s an important distinction to understand.

What Is True Color Blindness?

People often use the terms color blindness and color vision deficiency as if they mean exactly the same thing. Technically, however, they are slightly different.

Most people who are described as color-blind can still see many colors. Their eyes simply have difficulty distinguishing between certain shades.

True color blindness, also called achromatopsia, is much rarer. Someone with complete color blindness sees the world mostly in shades of black, white, and gray rather than normal colors.

So, how good is your color vision?

Below are eight words hidden in different colors. Some people may be able to read all of them easily, while others may find certain words difficult or impossible to see.

Don’t worry—we’ll give you the answers at the end.

Try not to scroll ahead!

1. Can You See the Blue Word?

Blue is an interesting color when it comes to color vision deficiency.

People with red-green color vision deficiency often have fewer problems identifying blue because blue is detected primarily through a different type of cone receptor in the eye.

That doesn’t mean everyone with color vision deficiency sees blue perfectly. Different types and degrees of color vision deficiency can affect people in different ways.

Still, blue can sometimes be easier to recognize than colors involving red and green.

Can you spot the first word?

2. Can You See the Green Word?

Green can be particularly challenging for people with red-green color vision deficiency.

Some people may see certain shades of green as more yellow, brown, or gray than they actually are. The difficulty can become even greater when green is placed next to another color with a similar brightness.

Interestingly, people who experience color vision deficiency often learn to use context and brightness to identify colors.

For example, they may know what a traffic signal means based on its position as well as its appearance.

Can you find the second word?

3. Can You See the Purple Word?

Purple can be tricky because it combines red and blue.

For someone with red-green color vision deficiency, purple may appear more blue than purple because the red component is harder to detect.

The exact appearance can vary from person to person depending on the type and severity of their color vision deficiency.

This is one reason why a color that looks obviously purple to one person may look completely different to someone else.

Can you read the third word?

4. Can You See the Pink Word?

Pink can also present a challenge.

Depending on the type of color vision deficiency, pink may look less vibrant or appear closer to gray, white, or another shade of red.

The surrounding colors can make a big difference, too. A bright pink object against a dark background may be easier to recognize than a pale pink object placed next to another light color.

Everyday objects such as clothing, flowers, signs, and decorations can therefore look noticeably different to people with different types of color vision.

Can you see the fourth word?

5. Can You See the Blue Word?

Here’s another blue word.

As mentioned earlier, blue is often easier to distinguish for people with common red-green color vision deficiencies. That’s because the visual system responsible for detecting blue works differently from the systems most affected by red-green deficiencies.

However, this doesn’t mean everyone with color vision deficiency will see every blue shade normally.

There are also less common forms of color vision deficiency that can affect the ability to distinguish blue from green or yellow.

Can you find the fifth word?

6. Can You See the Orange Word?

Orange can be surprisingly difficult for some people with color vision deficiency.

Because orange contains characteristics associated with both red and yellow, certain types of color vision deficiency can cause it to look more yellow, red, brown, or muted.

The situation can become even more confusing when orange is placed beside colors that have similar brightness.

Fortunately, context often helps. For example, people may recognize an orange traffic cone or an orange fruit because of its shape, location, and other visual clues—not simply because of its color.

Can you read the sixth word?

7. Can You See the Purple Word?

Here’s another purple challenge.

Because purple is made from red and blue, changes in the way someone perceives red can dramatically affect how purple looks.

A person with certain types of red-green color vision deficiency may see purple as primarily blue. Another person may perceive it differently depending on the specific type of deficiency.

This is a good reminder that color isn’t experienced exactly the same way by everyone.

Can you spot the seventh word?

8. Can You See the Red Word?

And now we come to one of the most challenging colors for people with common red-green color vision deficiencies: red.

Red may appear darker, less vivid, or closer to brown or another color. In some situations, this can create practical difficulties.

Traffic signals are one familiar example. People with color vision deficiency may rely on the position of the light, brightness, and surrounding signals rather than color alone.

The same thing can happen when identifying ripe fruit, reading charts, selecting wires, or working with color-coded information.

Can you see the final word?

Here Are the Eight Words

Ready for the answers?

Here they are:

1. TREE
2. EAT
3. BOOT
4. SWEET
5. PARK
6. LOVE
7. HAT
8. BEAD

If you were able to see all eight words clearly, you may have normal color vision.

However, this little challenge isn’t a medical test. Being unable to see one or more words doesn’t automatically mean you have color blindness. Screen brightness, display settings, image quality, lighting, and even the device you’re using can affect how colors appear.

If you regularly have trouble distinguishing colors in everyday situations, a proper color vision test performed by an eye-care professional is a much better way to find out.

Why Do People See Colors Differently?

The way we see color depends largely on specialized cells in the retina called cone cells.

Most people have three main types of cones that respond to different ranges of light. The brain combines information from these receptors to create the colorful visual experience we normally have.

When one type of cone is missing, altered, or doesn’t work normally, certain colors can become harder to distinguish.

That’s why two people can look at exactly the same object and describe its color differently.

And that makes this simple test more interesting than it first appears.

Color Is a Matter of Perspective

We often think of perspective as something related to opinions, experiences, cultures, or beliefs.

But there’s another kind of perspective that happens every time we open our eyes.

We don’t all experience the world in exactly the same way.

A color that looks bright red to one person might appear darker or slightly different to another. A purple shirt may look purple to you but much closer to blue to someone else.

Neither person is necessarily looking at a different object. They’re simply processing the same visual information differently.

So, how many of the eight words could you see?

TREE • EAT • BOOT • SWEET • PARK • LOVE • HAT • BEAD

If you couldn’t see all of them, don’t panic. This challenge is meant to be fun—not to diagnose a medical condition.

But it may just make you think twice the next time someone says, “That’s obviously blue!”

Note: All images used in this article are AI-generated and intended for illustrative purposes only.