text-align

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.

Try it

Syntax

css
/* Keyword values */
text-align: start;
text-align: end;
text-align: left;
text-align: right;
text-align: center;
text-align: justify;
text-align: justify-all;
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;

The text-align property is specified as a single keyword from the list below.

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.

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.

justify-all

Same as justify, but also forces the last line to be justified.

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

Initial valuestart, or a nameless value that acts as left if direction is ltr, right if direction is rtl if start is not supported by the browser.
Applies toblock containers
Inheritedyes
Computed valueas specified, except for the match-parent value which is calculated against its parent's direction value and results in a computed value of either left or right
Animation typediscrete

Formal syntax

text-align = 
start         |
end           |
left          |
right         |
center        |
justify       |
match-parent  |
justify-all

Examples

Start alignment

HTML

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

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

Result

Centered text

HTML

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

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

Result

Example using "justify"

HTML

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

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

Result

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

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

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

Specifications

Specification
CSS Logical Properties and Values Level 1
# text-align
CSS Text Module Level 3
# text-align-property

Browser compatibility

BCD tables only load in the browser

See also