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css property

`text-align` CSS property

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The text-align CSS property sets the horizontal alignment of the inline-level content inside a block element or table-cell box. This means it works like vertical-align but in the horizontal direction.

Interactive exampleOpen the canonical MDN source to run this embedded demo.
text-align: start;

text-align: end;

text-align: center;

text-align: justify;

<section id="default-example">
  <div id="example-element">
    <p>
      Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod
      tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim
      veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea
      commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate
      velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat
      cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id
      est laborum.
    </p>
  </div>
</section>

section {
  font-size: 1.5em;
}

#default-example > div {
  width: 250px;
}

Syntax

/* Keyword values */
text-align: start;
text-align: end;
text-align: left;
text-align: right;
text-align: center;
text-align: justify;
text-align: match-parent;

/* Block alignment values (Non-standard syntax) */
text-align: -moz-center;
text-align: -webkit-center;

/* Global values */
text-align: inherit;
text-align: initial;
text-align: revert;
text-align: revert-layer;
text-align: unset;

Values

This property is specified as one of the following keyword values:

  • start
    • : The same as left if direction is left-to-right and right if direction is right-to-left.
  • end
    • : The same as right if direction is left-to-right and left if direction is right-to-left.
  • left
    • : The inline contents are aligned to the left edge of the line box.
  • right
    • : The inline contents are aligned to the right edge of the line box.
  • center
    • : The inline contents are centered within the line box.
  • justify
    • : The inline contents are justified. Spaces out the content to line up its left and right edges to the left and right edges of the line box, except for the last line.
  • match-parent
    • : Similar to inherit, but the values start and end are calculated according to the parent’s direction and are replaced by the appropriate left or right value.

Accessibility

The inconsistent spacing between words created by justified text can be problematic for people with cognitive concerns such as Dyslexia.

Formal definition

Formal syntax

Examples

Start alignment

HTML

<p class="example">
  Integer elementum massa at nulla placerat varius. Suspendisse in libero risus,
  in interdum massa. Vestibulum ac leo vitae metus faucibus gravida ac in neque.
  Nullam est eros, suscipit sed dictum quis, accumsan a ligula.
</p>

CSS

.example {
  text-align: start;
  border: solid;
}

Result

Interactive exampleOpen the canonical MDN source to run this embedded demo.

Centered text

HTML

<p class="example">
  Integer elementum massa at nulla placerat varius. Suspendisse in libero risus,
  in interdum massa. Vestibulum ac leo vitae metus faucibus gravida ac in neque.
  Nullam est eros, suscipit sed dictum quis, accumsan a ligula.
</p>

CSS

.example {
  text-align: center;
  border: solid;
}

Result

Interactive exampleOpen the canonical MDN source to run this embedded demo.

Example using “justify”

HTML

<p class="example">
  Integer elementum massa at nulla placerat varius. Suspendisse in libero risus,
  in interdum massa. Vestibulum ac leo vitae metus faucibus gravida ac in neque.
  Nullam est eros, suscipit sed dictum quis, accumsan a ligula.
</p>

CSS

.example {
  text-align: justify;
  border: solid;
}

Result

Interactive exampleOpen the canonical MDN source to run this embedded demo.

Table alignment

This example demonstrates the use of text-align on <table> elements:

  • The <caption> is set to right-aligned.
  • The first two <th> elements inherit the left alignment from the text-align: left set on the <thead>, while the third is set to right-aligned.
  • Inside the <tbody> element, the first row is set to right-aligned, the second is set to center-aligned, and the third uses the default (left) alignment.
  • Within each row, some cells (c12, c31) are set to override the alignment of the row.

HTML

<table>
  <caption>
    Example table
  </caption>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Col 1</th>
      <th>Col 2</th>
      <th class="right">Col 3</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr class="right">
      <td>11</td>
      <td class="center">12</td>
      <td>13</td>
    </tr>
    <tr class="center">
      <td>21</td>
      <td>22</td>
      <td>23</td>
    </tr>
    <tr id="r3">
      <td class="right">31</td>
      <td>32</td>
      <td>33</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

CSS

table {
  border-collapse: collapse;
  border: solid black 1px;
  width: 250px;
  height: 150px;
}

thead {
  text-align: left;
}

td,
th {
  border: solid 1px black;
}

.center {
  text-align: center;
}

.right,
caption {
  text-align: right;
}

Result

Interactive exampleOpen the canonical MDN source to run this embedded demo.

Specifications

SpecificationsStandards references are available on the canonical MDN page.

Browser compatibility

Browser compatibilityCompatibility data is available on the canonical MDN page.

See also