HTML Text Formatting

One of the most important aspects of HTML is text formatting. Text formatting allows web developers to control the appearance of text on a webpage, making it more attractive and easy to read. There are several HTML text formatting tags that developers can use to achieve various effects.

The most basic text formatting tag is the <p> tag, which is used to create a paragraph. The <p> tag is often used to separate blocks of text and create a visual hierarchy on a page. Another basic tag is the <br> tag, which creates a line break within a paragraph. This tag is useful for separating text into shorter, more readable chunks.

HTML also offers several tags for modifying the appearance of text. The <b> tag is used to create bold text, while the <i> tag creates italicized text. The <u> tag is used to underline text, and the <strike> tag creates a strikethrough effect. These tags can be used in combination to create more complex effects. For example, a developer could use the <b> and <i> tags together to create bold and italicized text.

In addition to these basic tags, HTML also offers several tags for creating headings and subheadings. The <h1> tag is used for the main heading of a page, while the <h2> through <h6> tags are used for subheadings of decreasing importance. Using these tags can help organize content on a page and make it easier to scan.

Finally, HTML also offers tags for creating lists. The <ul> tag is used to create an unordered list, while the <ol> tag creates an ordered list. These tags can be used in combination with the <li> tag, which is used to create individual list items.

In summary, HTML text formatting is an essential aspect of web development that allows developers to control the appearance of text on a webpage. By using various tags, developers can create paragraphs, headings, subheadings, lists, and modify the appearance of text. These formatting tools are key to creating visually appealing and easy-to-read web pages.

HTML contains several elements for defining text with a special meaning.



HTML Formatting Elements
These elements help developers to create visually appealing and organized pages. In this article, we will discuss some of the most commonly used HTML formatting elements.

• <div> and <span> elements: These elements are used to group and style content. The <div> element is used to create a block-level container, while the <span> element is used for inline content. Both elements can be styled using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).
• <header>, <main>, and <footer> elements: These elements are used to create the basic structure of a web page. The <header> element is used to define the top section of a page, while the <main> element is used for the main content of the page. The <footer> element is used to define the bottom section of a page.
• <p> element: This element is used to create a paragraph of text. The <p> element is commonly used to separate blocks of text and create a visual hierarchy on a page.
• <h1> to <h6> elements: These elements are used to create headings and subheadings. The <h1> element is used for the main heading of a page, while the <h2> through <h6> elements are used for subheadings of decreasing importance.
• <ul> and <ol> elements: These elements are used to create unordered and ordered lists respectively. The <ul> element is used for creating a bullet point list, while the <ol> element is used for creating a numbered list.
• <br> element: This element is used to create a line break within a paragraph. The <br> element is useful for separating text into shorter, more readable chunks.
• <hr> element: This element is used to create a horizontal line on a page. The <hr> element is commonly used to separate sections of a page.

HTML provides a variety of formatting elements that help developers to structure and format web page content. These elements include <div> and <span> elements for grouping and styling content, <header>, <main>, and <footer> elements for defining the basic structure of a page, <p>, <h1> to <h6>, <ul>, <ol>, <br>, and <hr> elements for creating and formatting text, headings, lists, line breaks, and horizontal lines. By using these elements effectively, developers can create visually appealing and organized web pages.

Formatting elements were designed to display special types of text:

• <b> - Bold text
• <strong> - Important text
• <i> - Italic text
• <em> - Emphasized text
• <mark> - Marked text
• <small> - Smaller text
• <del> - Deleted text
• <ins> - Inserted text
• <sub> - Subscript text
• <sup> - Superscript text

HTML <b> and <strong> Elements
Both the <b> and <strong> HTML elements are used to make text bold. However, there is a semantic difference between them. The <b> element is used to indicate text that is stylistically different from the surrounding text, while the <strong> element is used to indicate text that is important or emphasized. The <strong> element is also used by screen readers to emphasize the importance of the text to visually impaired users. Therefore, it is generally recommended to use the <strong> element instead of the <b> element when emphasizing text that is important for the meaning of the page.

The HTML <b> element defines bold text, without any extra importance.



The HTML <strong> element defines text with strong importance. The content inside is typically displayed in bold.



HTML <i> and <em> Elements
Both the <i> and <em> HTML elements are used to make text italicized. However, similar to <b> and <strong>, there is a semantic difference between them. The <i> element is used to indicate text that is stylistically different from the surrounding text, while the <em> element is used to indicate text that is emphasized or important. The <em> element is also used by screen readers to emphasize the importance of the text to visually impaired users. Therefore, it is generally recommended to use the <em> element instead of the <i> element when emphasizing text that is important for the meaning of the page.

The HTML <i> element defines a part of text in an alternate voice or mood. The content inside is typically displayed in italic.

Tip: The <i> tag is often used to indicate a technical term, a phrase from another language, a thought, a ship name, etc.



The HTML <em> element defines emphasized text. The content inside is typically displayed in italic.

Tip: A screen reader will pronounce the words in <em> with an emphasis, using verbal stress.



HTML <small> Element
The <small> HTML element is used to make text smaller than the surrounding text. It is often used for disclaimers, legal notices, or other types of text that are less important than the main content of the page. While it is commonly used to make text smaller, it does not necessarily have to be smaller than the surrounding text, as its purpose is to indicate a smaller degree of importance. However, it is important to use this element sparingly and with intention, as using small text too frequently can make a page difficult to read and navigate.

The HTML <small> element defines smaller text:



HTML <mark> Element
The <mark> HTML element is used to highlight or mark text for emphasis. It is typically used to draw attention to specific words or phrases within a block of text. The element adds a background color to the text, making it stand out from the surrounding content. The color of the highlight can be customized using CSS to match the design of the webpage. The <mark> element can be useful for emphasizing keywords or important information, but should be used sparingly to avoid overwhelming the reader and to maintain the overall readability of the content.

The HTML <mark> element defines text that should be marked or highlighted:



HTML <del> Element
The <del> HTML element is used to indicate deleted or removed text. It displays the text with a strikethrough line. This element can be useful for indicating changes made to a document or for displaying old information that is no longer relevant.

The HTML <del> element defines text that has been deleted from a document. Browsers will usually strike a line through deleted text:



HTML <ins> Element
The <ins> HTML element is used to indicate inserted or added text. It displays the text with an underline. This element can be useful for indicating changes made to a document or for displaying new information that has been added.

The HTML <ins> element defines a text that has been inserted into a document. Browsers will usually underline inserted text:



HTML <sub> Element
The HTML <sub> element defines subscript text. Subscript text appears half a character below the normal line, and is sometimes rendered in a smaller font. Subscript text can be used for chemical formulas, like H2O:



HTML <sup> Element
The HTML <sup> element defines superscript text. Superscript text appears half a character above the normal line, and is sometimes rendered in a smaller font. Superscript text can be used for footnotes, like WWW[1]:



HTML Text Formatting Elements