Guides / 03—08
Distinguish normal and large text thresholds
WCAG AA has different thresholds for different text sizes; rounded display values do not decide a pass.
Normal text
For normal text, WCAG AA minimum contrast is 4.5:1. Measure the actual foreground and background, including link or button states. A ratio of 4.49:1 does not meet 4.5 even if a display rounds it to 4.5.
Large text
Text meeting WCAG's large-scale definition has a 3:1 AA threshold. Large-scale depends on size and weight, not a CSS class name alone. If the rendered size is uncertain, using the normal-text threshold is a safer design choice.
Passing is not the whole experience
A ratio above the minimum may still feel difficult with thin fonts, antialiasing or particular screens. Inspect the actual size and relevant hover, focus and disabled states.