Table of Contents
is an inline element
Home Web Front-end H5 Tutorial Explaining the HTML5 `` vs `` elements.

Explaining the HTML5 `` vs `` elements.

Jul 12, 2025 am 03:09 AM
html5 Semantic tags

is a block-level element, suitable for layout; <span> is an inline element, suitable for wrapping text content. 1.
owns a line, and can set width, height and margins, which are often used in structural layout; 2. <span> does not wrap lines, and the size is determined by the content, and is suitable for local text styles or dynamic operations; 3. When choosing, it should be judged based on whether the content needs independent space; 4.
cannot be nested in

, <span> is not suitable for layout; 5. Priority is given to the use of semantic tags to improve structural clarity and accessibility.

Explaining the HTML5 `<article>` vs `<section>` elements.

Many people are a little confused about the two tags <div> and <code><span></span> when they first learn HTML. They don't look special, and they seem to be able to use any one of them. In fact, they are not the case, there are obvious differences in structure and purpose. Explaining the HTML5 `<article>` vs `<section>` elements. ` vs `

` elements." />

<div> is a block-level element<p> <code><div> is a block-level element by default, which means it will occupy a single line regardless of whether there is content or not. If you set the width, height, inner and outer margins and other styles for it, it will take effect normally.<p> Common usage scenarios: </p> <img src="/static/imghw/default1.png" data-src="https://img.php.cn/upload/article/000/000/000/175226098477717.jpeg" class="lazy" alt="Explaining the HTML5 `<article>` vs `<section>` elements."> ` vs `<section> ` elements." /><ul> <li> As a container for page layout</li> <li> Wrap a set of related elements to facilitate unified control of styles or behaviors</li> <li> Responsive design with CSS Grid or Flexbox</li> </ul> <p> For example, you write a piece of code like this:</p><pre class='brush:php;toolbar:false;'> &lt;div class=&quot;box&quot;&gt;This is a div&lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;This is a paragraph of text&lt;/p&gt;</pre><p> This <code>div will start with a new line and fill the width it can occupy.

Explaining the HTML5 `<article>` vs `<section>` elements. ` vs `
` elements." />

<span> is an inline element

<span> , on the contrary, it is an inline element. It will not wrap the line, nor will it automatically occupy a whole line, its size depends entirely on the content itself.

Common usage scenarios:

  • Add styles to a part of the text, such as highlighting a word
  • Dynamically operate a certain text, such as changing the color or content with JavaScript
  • Add extra styles or attributes without interrupting text stream

For example:

 <p>This is a normal sentence, but the word <em><span   style="max-width:90%">is red</span></em>. </p>

Here we use <span> to change the color of only one word in the sentence without affecting the structure of the entire paragraph.


How to choose:
or <span> ?

Simply put, it depends on whether the content you want to package needs to be "individually blocked":

  • If it is related to layout and requires independent space, use
  • If it is just a small part of the text, use <span>
  • Other points should be noted:

    • <div> cannot be placed in the <code><p></p> tag (HTML specification does not allow it)
    • <span> is not suitable for structural layout, otherwise it may disrupt text flow
    • Today, with more semantic tags, try to give priority to using more meaningful tags (such as <section></section> , <article></article> , <header></header> , etc.) instead of blindly applying
      or <span>

      Basically that's it. Although both tags are very basic, using the wrong place may affect layout, accessibility and even SEO. Only by understanding their behavioral differences can we write a clearer and more reasonable HTML structure.

The above is the detailed content of Explaining the HTML5 `` vs `` elements.. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

Statement of this Website
The content of this article is voluntarily contributed by netizens, and the copyright belongs to the original author. This site does not assume corresponding legal responsibility. If you find any content suspected of plagiarism or infringement, please contact admin@php.cn

Hot AI Tools

Undress AI Tool

Undress AI Tool

Undress images for free

Undresser.AI Undress

Undresser.AI Undress

AI-powered app for creating realistic nude photos

AI Clothes Remover

AI Clothes Remover

Online AI tool for removing clothes from photos.

Clothoff.io

Clothoff.io

AI clothes remover

Video Face Swap

Video Face Swap

Swap faces in any video effortlessly with our completely free AI face swap tool!

Hot Tools

Notepad++7.3.1

Notepad++7.3.1

Easy-to-use and free code editor

SublimeText3 Chinese version

SublimeText3 Chinese version

Chinese version, very easy to use

Zend Studio 13.0.1

Zend Studio 13.0.1

Powerful PHP integrated development environment

Dreamweaver CS6

Dreamweaver CS6

Visual web development tools

SublimeText3 Mac version

SublimeText3 Mac version

God-level code editing software (SublimeText3)

Significant Goals of HTML5: Enhancing Web Development and User Experience Significant Goals of HTML5: Enhancing Web Development and User Experience May 14, 2025 am 12:18 AM

HTML5aimstoenhancewebdevelopmentanduserexperiencethroughsemanticstructure,multimediaintegration,andperformanceimprovements.1)Semanticelementslike,,,andimprovereadabilityandaccessibility.2)andtagsallowseamlessmultimediaembeddingwithoutplugins.3)Featur

What is Microdata? HTML5 Explained What is Microdata? HTML5 Explained Jun 10, 2025 am 12:09 AM

MicrodataenhancesSEOandcontentdisplayinsearchresultsbyembeddingstructureddataintoHTML.1)Useitemscope,itemtype,anditempropattributestoaddsemanticmeaning.2)ApplyMicrodatatokeycontentlikebooksorproductsforrichsnippets.3)BalanceusagetoavoidclutteringHTML

What are the semantic HTML5 tags? Give some examples. What are the semantic HTML5 tags? Give some examples. May 21, 2025 am 12:08 AM

HTML5 semantic tags have greatly changed the way web pages are built. 1. They make the code more readable and help search engines understand structures. 2. These tags, such as,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 3. The use examples show the basic and advanced structure. 4. Common mistakes include abuse and incorrect nesting, which need to be carefully checked. 5. Rational use of these tags can optimize SEO and development efficiency.

The Aims of HTML5: Creating a More Powerful and Accessible Web The Aims of HTML5: Creating a More Powerful and Accessible Web May 14, 2025 am 12:18 AM

HTML5aimstoenhancewebcapabilities,makingitmoredynamic,interactive,andaccessible.1)Itsupportsmultimediaelementslikeand,eliminatingtheneedforplugins.2)Semanticelementsimproveaccessibilityandcodereadability.3)Featureslikeenablepowerful,responsivewebappl

HTML5 Microdata: The best online tools HTML5 Microdata: The best online tools Jun 09, 2025 am 12:06 AM

ThebestonlinetoolsforHTML5MicrodataareGoogleStructuredDataMarkupHelperandSchema.org'sMarkupValidator.1)GoogleStructuredDataMarkupHelperisuser-friendly,guidinguserstoaddMicrodatatagsforenhancedSEO.2)Schema.org'sMarkupValidatorchecksMicrodataimplementa

Microdata in HTML5: The Key to Better Search Engine Ranking Microdata in HTML5: The Key to Better Search Engine Ranking Jun 12, 2025 am 10:22 AM

MicrodatasignificantlyimprovesSEObyenhancingsearchengineunderstandingandrankingofwebpages.1)ItaddssemanticmeaningtoHTML,aidingbetterindexing.2)Itenablesrichsnippets,increasingclick-throughrates.3)UsecorrectSchema.orgvocabularyandkeepitupdated.4)Valid

HTML5 goals: A quick start guide HTML5 goals: A quick start guide May 18, 2025 am 12:18 AM

HTML5aimstoimprovewebaccessibility,efficiency,andinteractivityforbothusersanddevelopers.1)Itreducestheneedforexternalpluginsbysupportingnativemultimedia.2)Itenhancessemanticstructurewithnewelements,improvingSEOandcodereadability.3)Itimprovesformhandl

HTML5 Specification: Exploring the Key Goals and Motivations HTML5 Specification: Exploring the Key Goals and Motivations May 16, 2025 am 12:19 AM

ThekeygoalsandmotivationsbehindHTML5weretoenhancesemanticstructure,improvemultimediasupport,andensurebetterperformanceandcompatibilityacrossdevices,drivenbytheneedtoaddressHTML4'slimitationsandmeetmodernwebdemands.1)HTML5aimedtoimprovesemanticstructu

See all articles