<small>: the side comment element #
::: section-content
The <small>
HTML element represents side-comments and
small print, like copyright and legal text, independent of its styled
presentation. By default, it renders text within it one font-size
smaller, such as from small to x-small.
:::
Try it #
::: section-content ::: iframe ::: {.output-header .border-rounded-top}
HTML Demo: <small> #
Reset :::
::: {#warning-no-script .warning-container} ::: warning The interactive example cannot be shown because JavaScript is disabled. ::: :::
::: {#warning-mathml-not-supported .warning-container .hidden} ::: warning The interactive example cannot be shown because MathML is not supported by your browser. ::: :::
::: {#editor-container .editor-container .tabbed-shorter .hidden .border-rounded-bottom editor-type=“tabbed”} ::: {#tab-container .section .tabs} ::: {#tablist .tab-list role=“tablist”} HTML
CSS
JavaScript :::
::: {#html-panel .section .hidden tabindex=“0” role=“tabpanel” aria-labelledby=“html” aria-hidden=“true”} ::: {#html-editor}
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<p><small>The content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic License.</small></p>
::: :::
::: {#css-panel .section .hidden tabindex=“0” role=“tabpanel” aria-labelledby=“css” aria-hidden=“true”} ::: {#css-editor} small { font-size: 0.7em; } ::: :::
::: {#js-panel .section .hidden tabindex=“0” role=“tabpanel” aria-labelledby=“js” aria-hidden=“true”} ::: {#js-editor} ::: ::: :::
::: {#output .output-container}
Output #
::: :::
::: {.section .console-container .hidden aria-hidden=“true”}
Console Output #
![] clear console
::: {#console .console} ::: :::
::: {#html-output .output .editor-tabbed} %html-content% ::: ::: :::
Attributes #
::: section-content This element only includes the global attributes. :::
Examples #
Basic usage #
::: section-content ::: code-example [html]{.language-name}
<p>
This is the first sentence.
<small>This whole sentence is in small letters.</small>
</p>
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Result #
::: {#sect1 .code-example} ::: iframe ::: ::: :::
CSS alternative #
::: section-content ::: code-example [html]{.language-name}
<p>
This is the first sentence.
<span style="font-size:0.8em">This whole sentence is in small letters.</span>
</p>
:::
Result #
::: {#sect2 .code-example} ::: iframe ::: ::: :::
Notes #
::: section-content
Although the <small> element, like the
<b> and
<i>
elements, may be perceived to violate the principle of separation
between structure and presentation, all three are valid in HTML. Authors
are encouraged to use their best judgement when determining whether to
use <small> or CSS.
:::
Technical summary #
::: section-content
| Content categories | Flow content, phrasing content |
|---|---|
| Permitted content | Phrasing content |
| Tag omission | None; must have both a start tag and an end tag. |
| Permitted parents | Any element that accepts phrasing content, or any element that accepts flow content. |
| Implicit ARIA role | generic |
| Permitted ARIA roles | Any |
| DOM interface | HTMLElement |
Specifications #
::: _table #
Specification #
HTML Standard
[#
the-small-element]{.small}
:::
Browser compatibility #
::: _table Desktop Mobile
Chrome Edge Firefox Internet Explorer Opera Safari WebView Android Chrome Android Firefox for Android Opera Android Safari on IOS Samsung Internet
small 1 12 1 Yes 15 ≤4 4.4 18 4 14 ≤3.2 1.0
:::
See also #
::: section-content
::: _attribution
© 2005–2023 MDN contributors.
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License v2.5
or later.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/small{._attribution-link}
:::