<p> : The Paragraph Element
Summary
The <p> element represents a paragraph of text. It is a block-level element that automatically adds vertical spacing before and after the content.
Usage
The <p> element creates a paragraph that:
- Displays as a block-level element
- Has default top and bottom margins (0.5em each)
- Takes full width of its parent container
- Can contain inline elements and text
- Supports all CSS styling properties
<p>This is a paragraph with default spacing.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This paragraph is justified and will align text evenly on both left and right sides.</p>
Supported Attributes
Standard HTML Attributes
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
id |
string | Unique identifier for the element. |
class |
string | CSS class name(s) for styling. Multiple classes separated by spaces. |
style |
string | Inline CSS styles applied directly to the element. |
title |
string | Sets the outline/bookmark title for the paragraph. |
hidden |
string | Controls visibility. Set to “hidden” to hide the element. |
Data Binding Attributes
| Attribute | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
data-content |
expression | Dynamically sets the content from bound data. |
CSS Style Support
Supports all CSS properties including:
Typography:
font-family,font-size,font-weight,font-stylecolor,line-height,letter-spacingtext-align,text-indent,text-decorationhyphens- Control word breaking with hyphens
Spacing:
margin,margin-top,margin-right,margin-bottom,margin-leftpadding(all variants)
Borders and Background:
border(all variants)background-color,background-image
Layout:
width,height,max-widthpage-break-before,page-break-after,page-break-inside
Notes
Default Styling
The <p> element has default styling:
- Top Margin: 0.5em
- Bottom Margin: 0.5em
- Display: Block
- Full Width: Takes 100% of parent width
These defaults provide standard paragraph spacing. Override with CSS as needed.
Text Flow
Paragraphs support:
- Automatic line wrapping
- Hyphenation (with
hyphens: auto) - Text justification
- First-line indenting
Page Breaking
Control how paragraphs break across pages:
<p style="page-break-inside: avoid;">This paragraph will not be split across pages.</p>
Examples
Basic Paragraphs
<p>This is the first paragraph with default spacing.</p>
<p>This is the second paragraph, also with default spacing.</p>
Styled Paragraph
<p style="font-size: 12pt; color: #333; line-height: 1.5;
text-align: justify; text-indent: 20pt;">
This paragraph has custom font size, color, line height, justification,
and first-line indentation for a professional appearance.
</p>
With Background and Border
<p style="background-color: #f0f0f0; border-left: 4pt solid #336699;
padding: 10pt; margin: 15pt 0;">
This paragraph has a gray background with a blue left border,
creating a callout or note effect.
</p>
Text Alignment
<p style="text-align: left;">Left-aligned paragraph (default)</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Center-aligned paragraph</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">Right-aligned paragraph</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Justified paragraph with text aligned to both margins</p>
Data Binding
<!-- With model = { description: "Product details here" } -->
<p class="description"></p>
<!-- Dynamic styling -->
<p style="color: ; font-size: pt;">
</p>
First-Line Indent
<style>
.indented {
text-indent: 30pt;
text-align: justify;
margin-bottom: 10pt;
}
</style>
<p class="indented">
This paragraph has a first-line indent of 30 points, creating a
traditional book-style paragraph format.
</p>
<p class="indented">
Each paragraph with this class will have the same formatting.
</p>
With Hyphenation
<p style="width: 200pt; text-align: justify; hyphens: auto;
padding: 10pt; border: 1pt solid #ccc;">
This paragraph has automatic hyphenation enabled for better
justification in narrow columns with words-like-hyphenated-terms.
</p>
No Break Across Pages
<p style="page-break-inside: avoid; border: 1pt solid black; padding: 10pt;">
This entire paragraph will be kept together on one page.
If there isn't enough space, the entire paragraph moves to the next page.
</p>
Drop Cap Effect
<style>
.drop-cap::first-letter {
font-size: 36pt;
font-weight: bold;
float: left;
margin-right: 5pt;
line-height: 30pt;
}
</style>
<p class="drop-cap">
This paragraph starts with a large drop cap letter, creating
an elegant beginning for a chapter or section.
</p>
Multiple Paragraphs with Spacing
<div style="column-count: 2; column-gap: 20pt;">
<p>First paragraph in a two-column layout with standard spacing.</p>
<p>Second paragraph continues in the columns.</p>
<p>Third paragraph may flow to the second column.</p>
</div>
See Also
- div - Generic block container
- span - Inline container
- h1-h6 - Heading elements
- blockquote - Block quotation
- pre - Preformatted text