CSS Text Effects

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CSS Text Overflow, Word Wrap, Line Breaking Rules, and Writing Modes

In this chapter you will learn about the following properties:

text-overflow
word-wrap
word-break
writing-mode

CSS Text Overflow

The CSS text-overflow property specifies how overflowed content that is not displayed should be signaled to the user.

It can be clipped:

This is some long text that will not fit in the box

or it can be rendered as an ellipsis (...):

This is some long text that will not fit in the box

The CSS code is as follows:

Example

p.test1 {
white-space: nowrap;
  width: 200px;
  border: 1px solid #000000;
overflow: hidden;
text-overflow: clip;
}

p.test2 {
  white-space: nowrap;
  width: 200px;
  border: 1px solid #000000;
overflow: hidden;
text-overflow: ellipsis;
}

Try it Yourself »

The following example shows how you can display the overflowed content when hovering over the element:

Example

div.test:hover {
overflow: visible;
}

Try it Yourself »

CSS Word Wrapping

The CSS word-wrap property allows long words to be able to be broken and wrap onto the next line.

If a word is too long to fit within an area, it expands outside:

This paragraph contains a very long word: thisisaveryveryveryveryveryverylongword. The long word will break and wrap to the next line.

The word-wrap property allows you to force the text to wrap - even if it means splitting it in the middle of a word:

This paragraph contains a very long word: thisisaveryveryveryveryveryverylongword. The long word will break and wrap to the next line.

The CSS code is as follows:

Example

Allow long words to be able to be broken and wrap onto the next line:

p {
word-wrap: break-word;
}

Try it Yourself »

CSS Word Breaking

The CSS word-break property specifies line breaking rules.

This paragraph contains some text. This line will-break-at-hyphens.

This paragraph contains some text. The lines will break at any character.

The CSS code is as follows:

Example

p.test1 {
word-break: keep-all;
}

p.test2 {
word-break: break-all;
}

Try it Yourself »

CSS Writing Mode

The CSS writing-mode property specifies whether lines of text are laid out horizontally or vertically.

Some text with a span element with a vertical-rl writing-mode.

The following example shows some different writing modes:

Example

p.test1 {
writing-mode: horizontal-tb;
}

span.test2 {
writing-mode: vertical-rl;
}

p.test2 {
writing-mode: vertical-rl;
}

Try it Yourself »

CSS Text Effect Properties

The following table lists the CSS text effect properties:

Property	Description
text-justify	Specifies how justified text should be aligned and spaced
text-overflow	Specifies how overflowed content that is not displayed should be signaled to the user
word-break	Specifies line breaking rules for non-CJK scripts
word-wrap	Allows long words to be able to be broken and wrap onto the next line
writing-mode	Specifies whether lines of text are laid out horizontally or vertically

❮ Previous Next ❯

CSS Text Effects

CSS Text Overflow, Word Wrap, Line Breaking Rules, and Writing Modes

CSS Text Overflow

Example

Example

CSS Word Wrapping

Example

CSS Word Breaking

Example

CSS Writing Mode

Example

Test Yourself With Exercises

Exercise:

CSS Text Effect Properties