Rheologically/water retentivity improved aqueous papercoating compositions comprise immixture, in water, of (i) a water-insoluble, non-alkali-swellable latex A of a film-forming polymer having a mean particle size .phi..sub.A ranging from 60 to 300 nm, (ii) a water-insoluble, alkali-swellable latex B of a polymer having a mean particle size .phi..sub.B ranging from 20 to 150 nm measured at a pH of from 2 to 4 and swelling at least 1.5 times in diameter in an alkaline medium, and (iii) an inorganic pigment C which comprises at least 40% by weight of CaCO.sub.3.