<ruby>: The Ruby Annotation element

The <ruby> HTML element represents small annotations that are rendered above, below, or next to base text, usually used for showing the pronunciation of East Asian characters. It can also be used for annotating other kinds of text, but this usage is less common.

The term ruby originated as a unit of measurement used by typesetters, representing the smallest size that text can be printed on newsprint while remaining legible.

Content categories Flow content, phrasing content, palpable content.
Permitted content Phrasing content.
Tag omission None, both the starting and ending tag are mandatory.
Permitted parents Any element that accepts phrasing content.
Implicit ARIA role No corresponding role
Permitted ARIA roles Any
DOM interface HTMLElement

Attributes

This element only includes the global attributes.

Examples

Example 1: Character

<ruby>
  漢 <rp>(</rp><rt>Kan</rt><rp>)</rp>
  字 <rp>(</rp><rt>ji</rt><rp>)</rp>
</ruby>

Example 2: Word

<ruby>
  明日 <rp>(</rp><rt>Ashita</rt><rp>)</rp>
</ruby>

Specifications

Specification
HTML Standard
# the-ruby-element

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser

See also