The <abbr> element helps provide a concise and consistent way of representing abbreviations and acronyms throughout a website. It also gives the user additional information about the meaning of the abbreviation or acronym.
Example
Syntax
1 | <p>The <abbrtitle="World Health Organization">WHO</abbr> is a specialized agency of the United Nations.</p> |
Result
Notice the browser’s default styling for the abbr element; a dotted underline. Hover over the abbreviated text and you’ll be shown a tooltip with the contents from the title attribute:
Content
While the primary purpose of the <abbr> element is to mark up abbreviations and acronyms, the HTML specification does not restrict its use to these types of content.
Using the <abbr> element to mark up other types of short-form content, such as dates, measurements, or units, is possible. However, it is recommended to use the <abbr> element for its intended purpose to ensure semantic and accessible markup.
Did You Know?
- The
<abbr>element was introduced in HTML 4.0 in 1998. - The
<abbr>element includes abbreviations and acronyms. It can also be used to mark up other types of short-form content, such as dates, measurements, and units. - Screen readers and other assistive technologies can use the
titleattribute of the<abbr>element to announce the full form of the abbreviation or acronym to visually impaired users. - The
<abbr>element can be styled using CSS to display the abbreviation or acronym in a specific way, such as changing the color or adding a border.
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