<abbr>
The <abbr> element marks abbreviations and acronyms. A title attribute can provide an expanded form, though surrounding context should still explain unfamiliar terms when needed.
Overview
The <abbr> element marks abbreviations and acronyms. A title attribute can provide an expanded form, though surrounding context should still explain unfamiliar terms when needed.
Browser support
| Feature | Desktop | Mobile | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome | Edge | Firefox | Safari | Chrome Android | Safari iOS | |
| 2 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 3.2 | |
- Before Firefox 4, this element implemented the `HTMLSpanElement` interface instead of the standard `HTMLElement` interface.
Syntax
<p><abbr title="HyperText Markup Language">HTML</abbr> is
a language that defines the structure of web pages.</p>
<p>The <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr>
develops the specifications.</p>Live demo
term. abbreviation
Title attribute in hover time to positive notationname display.abbreviation to style apply.
abbreviationlist
Multiple. abbreviation listshape notation in display.hover in positive notationname inspect the result..
abbreviation with textinside.
textchapterwithinabbreviation to usagepattern.initialout time to positive notationname record.
Use cases
Technical terms
Mark acronyms such as HTML, CSS, or API while preserving readable prose around them.
Organization names
Introduce abbreviated institutions or standards bodies with an expanded form for clarity.
Cautions
- Do not rely on the title tooltip alone for comprehension, especially on touch devices where hover is not available.
- If the abbreviation is unfamiliar or critical, explain it in the running text the first time it appears.
Accessibility
- Some assistive technologies may not expose title text consistently, so the surrounding sentence should still make sense.
Related links
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