HTML <abbr> Tag
The HTML <abbr>
tag creates the 'abbr' element, which represents an abbreviation or acronym.
It is not necessarily a requirement to use the <abbr>
when presenting an abbreviation. It is simply a tag that can be useful in many cases when doing so (for example, using the title
attribute to expand on the abbreviation, or using style sheets to apply to the <abbr>
element).
Note that the (global) title
attribute has special semantics on the <abbr>
element. If used, it must provide an expansion of the abbreviation/acronym (but nothing else).
Syntax
The <abbr>
tag is written as <abbr>
</abbr>
with the abbreviation/acronym inserted between the start and end tags. You can add the title
attribute to the first instance of the abbreviation to provide an expansion.
Like this:
Examples
Basic tag usage
With Title Attribute
Plural
If an abbreviation or acronym is pluralized, the value of any title
attribute must match any pluralization of the <abbr>
contents.
In other words, if the plural is outside the <abbr>
element, then the title
attribute's value must be singular (i.e. not pluralized). If on the other hand, the plural is inside the <abbr>
element, the title
attribute's value must be plural.
Here's an example of the plural being outside the <abbr>
element:
Here's an example of the plural being inside the <abbr>
element:
Attributes
Attributes can be added to an HTML element to provide more information about how the element should appear or behave.
The <abbr>
element accepts the following attributes.
Attribute | Description |
---|---|
None |
Global Attributes
The following attributes are standard across all HTML elements. Therefore, you can use these attributes with the <abbr>
tag , as well as with all other HTML tags.
accesskey
autocapitalize
class
contenteditable
data-*
dir
draggable
hidden
id
inputmode
is
itemid
itemprop
itemref
itemscope
itemtype
lang
part
slot
spellcheck
style
tabindex
title
translate
For a full explanation of these attributes, see HTML 5 global attributes.
Event Handlers
Event handler content attributes enable you to invoke a script from within your HTML. The script is invoked when a certain "event" occurs. Each event handler content attribute deals with a different event.
onabort
onauxclick
onblur
oncancel
oncanplay
oncanplaythrough
onchange
onclick
onclose
oncontextmenu
oncopy
oncuechange
oncut
ondblclick
ondrag
ondragend
ondragenter
ondragexit
ondragleave
ondragover
ondragstart
ondrop
ondurationchange
onemptied
onended
onerror
onfocus
onformdata
oninput
oninvalid
onkeydown
onkeypress
onkeyup
onlanguagechange
onload
onloadeddata
onloadedmetadata
onloadstart
onmousedown
onmouseenter
onmouseleave
onmousemove
onmouseout
onmouseover
onmouseup
onpaste
onpause
onplay
onplaying
onprogress
onratechange
onreset
onresize
onscroll
onsecuritypolicyviolation
onseeked
onseeking
onselect
onslotchange
onstalled
onsubmit
onsuspend
ontimeupdate
ontoggle
onvolumechange
onwaiting
onwheel
Most event handler content attributes can be used on all HTML elements, but some event handlers have specific rules around when they can be used and which elements they are applicable to.
For more detail, see HTML event handler content attributes.