Arancione vs. arancio
The Italian words 'arancione' and 'arancio' both refer to the color orange, but they have subtle differences in usage and connotation.
Arancione
'Arancione' is the more common and modern term for the color orange in Italian. It is used as an adjective to describe objects or things that are orange in color.
Il tramonto ha dipinto il cielo di arancione.
(The sunset painted the sky orange.)
Ho comprato una maglietta arancione per l'estate.
(I bought an orange T-shirt for the summer.)
Arancio
'Arancio' is an older term for orange and can refer to both the color and the fruit. It is less commonly used for the color in modern Italian, but it's still present in certain contexts.
Il colore arancio è associato all'autunno.
(The color orange is associated with autumn.)
Ho piantato un albero di arancio nel giardino.
(I planted an orange tree in the garden.)
Summary
While both 'arancione' and 'arancio' mean orange in Italian, 'arancione' is more commonly used for the color in modern contexts, whereas 'arancio' can refer to both the color and the fruit, and is slightly more traditional. 'Arancione' is primarily an adjective, while 'arancio' can function as both a noun and an adjective.