AbstractThe recommendations of the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) on the CIELUV 1976 and CIELAB 1976 color spaces are discussed. A cube‐root chromaticity diagram (a',b') for CIELAB 1976 is added. A slightly modified cube‐root chromaticity diagram (A',B') is proposed which takes care of the CIE corrections (1978) for saturated yellow and red colors in CIELAB 1976 color space. Important advantages of the corresponding cube‐root color space labeled LABHNU 1977 are shown and compared to the CIELUV 1976 and CIELAB 1976 color spaces. Chromatic adaptation can be described approximately as an equal (cube‐root) chromaticity shift for all test colors defined by the two chromaticities of the adaptation illuminants. These properties are discussed and compared to our own chromatic‐adaptation data and data published by Bartleson (1978). Color‐appearance attributes and differences are studied for CIE standard illuminants D65and A. The Munsell data and OSA data and the main properties of different experiments of Evans and Swenholt (1968) and Pointer (1974) lead to the LABHNU 1977 color space which is evaluated for chromatic adaptation to different illuminants and is compared to the CIELAB 1976 and CIELUV 1976 c