CSS white-space Property
Controls how whitespace inside an element is handled
Syntax
white-space: normal | nowrap | pre | pre-wrap | pre-line | break-spaces;Values
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| normal | Sequences of whitespace collapse (default) |
| nowrap | No wrapping, collapses whitespace |
| pre | Preserves whitespace and newlines |
| pre-wrap | Preserves whitespace, wraps lines |
| pre-line | Collapses whitespace, preserves newlines |
| break-spaces | Like pre-wrap but breaks at the end of spaces |
Example
.code {
white-space: pre;
}
.truncate {
white-space: nowrap;
}Understanding CSS white-space
The CSS white-space property controls how whitespace inside an element is handled. 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 white-space to values such as normal, nowrap, pre, pre-wrap, 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 white-space 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, text-overflow to achieve complex styling effects. Understanding how these properties interact helps you write cleaner, more maintainable stylesheets.
Browser support for white-space 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.whiteSpace or the CSS custom properties (variables) approach for theming.
Related Properties
word-breakSpecifies how words should break when reaching the end of a line
overflow-wrapControls whether the browser can break at normally unbreakable points to prevent overflow
text-overflowSpecifies how overflowed content that is not displayed should be signaled to the user
overflowControls what happens to content that overflows an element's box
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