Understanding the CSS Hyphens Property

When it comes to creating visually appealing and readable websites, typography plays a crucial role. One important aspect of typography is managing word breaks and hyphenation. This is where the CSS hyphens property comes into play. In this article, we will explore what the CSS hyphens property is and how it can be used to enhance the readability of your website’s text content.

What is the CSS Hyphens Property?

The CSS hyphens property is used to control whether or not words in a block of text can be hyphenated to break them across multiple lines. It allows you to specify how hyphenation should be applied to different languages or elements on your website.

The hyphens property accepts three values:

none: Words are not hyphenated.
auto: Words are hyphenated if necessary, based on the language specified for the element.
manual: Words are hyphenated only where explicitly specified using the soft hyphen character.

Examples

Let’s take a look at some examples to better understand how the CSS hyphens property works.

Example 1: Hyphenation Enabled

    
      <style>
        p {
          hyphens: auto;
        }
      </style>
      <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.</p>

In this example, the CSS hyphens property is set to “auto” for the <p> element. This means that the browser will automatically hyphenate words if necessary. The resulting text will be visually more appealing and easier to read, especially when the container has a limited width.

Example 2: Hyphenation Disabled

    
      <style>
        p {
          hyphens: none;
        }
      </style>
      <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.</p>

In this example, the CSS hyphens property is set to “none” for the <p> element. This disables hyphenation, resulting in words not being broken across multiple lines. This can be useful in certain design scenarios where you want to maintain the integrity of specific words or phrases.

Example 3: Manual Hyphenation

    
      <style>
        p {
          hyphens: manual;
        }
      </style>
      <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.</p>

In this example, the CSS hyphens property is set to “manual” for the <p> element. This means that hyphenation will only occur where explicitly specified using the soft hyphen character (). This gives you full control over where words can be broken, allowing for fine-tuned typography.

Conclusion

The CSS hyphens property is a powerful tool for controlling word breaks and hyphenation in your website’s text content. By using the hyphens property, you can enhance the readability and visual appeal of your typography. Whether you choose to enable automatic hyphenation, disable it completely, or manually control it, the hyphens property gives you the flexibility to achieve the desired effect. Experiment with different settings to find the best approach for your website’s design and content.