Typography

CSS line-break Property

Specifies how to break lines of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean text

Syntax

CSS
line-break: auto | loose | normal | strict | anywhere;

Values

ValueDescription
autoBrowser default rules
looseLeast restrictive breaking
normalStandard CJK break rules
strictStrictest CJK break rules
anywhereAllow breaks anywhere

Example

CSS
.cjk-text {
  line-break: strict;
}

Understanding CSS line-break

The CSS line-break property specifies how to break lines of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean text. As part of the Typography module in CSS, it is one of the most commonly used properties for controlling the visual presentation of web pages.

You can set line-break to values such as auto, loose, normal, strict, among others. Each value changes how the browser renders the affected element, giving you fine-grained control over your page layout and design. Choosing the right value depends on the specific design requirements of your project.

Common use cases for the line-break property include responsive web design, component-based layouts, and creating visually consistent interfaces across devices. It works closely with related properties like word-break, overflow-wrap, white-space to achieve complex styling effects. Understanding how these properties interact helps you write cleaner, more maintainable stylesheets.

Browser support for line-break is excellent across all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. For older browsers, consider using fallback values or progressive enhancement strategies. The property can also be set dynamically via JavaScript using element.style.lineBreak or the CSS custom properties (variables) approach for theming.

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