word-spacing
The word-spacing CSS property sets the length of space between words and between tags.
Syntax
/* Keyword value */
word-spacing: normal;
/* <length> values */
word-spacing: 3px;
word-spacing: 0.3em;
/* <percentage> values */
word-spacing: 50%;
word-spacing: 200%;
/* Global values */
word-spacing: inherit;
word-spacing: initial;
word-spacing: revert;
word-spacing: unset;
Values
normal-
The normal inter-word spacing, as defined by the current font and/or the browser.
<length>-
Specifies extra spacing in addition to the intrinsic inter-word spacing defined by the font.
<percentage>-
Specifies extra spacing as a percentage of the affected character's advance width.
Examples
HTML
<div id="mozdiv1">Here are many words...</div>
<div id="mozdiv2">...and many more!</div>
CSS
#mozdiv1 {
word-spacing: 15px;
}
#mozdiv2 {
word-spacing: 5em;
}
Accessibility concerns
A large positive or negative word-spacing value will make the sentences the styling is applied to unreadable. For text styled with a very large positive value, the words will be so far apart that it will no longer appear to be a sentence. For text styled with a large negative value, the words will overlap each other to the point where the beginning and end of each word is unrecognizable.
Legible word-spacing must be determined on a case-by-case basis, as different font families have different character widths. There is no one value that can ensure all font families automatically maintain their legibility.
Formal definition
| Initial value | normal |
|---|---|
| Applies to | all elements. It also applies to ::first-letter and ::first-line. |
| Inherited | yes |
| Percentages | refer to the width of the affected glyph |
| Computed value | an optimum, minimum, and maximum value, each consisting of either an absolute length, a percentage, or the keyword normal |
| Animation type | a length |
Formal syntax
Specifications
| Specification |
|---|
| CSS Text Module Level 3 # word-spacing-property |
Browser compatibility
BCD tables only load in the browser