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<p>

Not everything is a paragraph — when <p> is (and isn't) the answer

— 1 min read

  • HTML
  • accessibility
  • semantics
  • text

<p> — The paragraph

The <p> element delimits a paragraph: a unit of body text that forms a complete idea. It is the basic building block of textual content.

When to use it

You want to write body text: description, explanation, narration. Each distinct idea deserves its own <p>. Do not use it as a generic container — if the content is not body text, choose a more specific element.

What you gain

Accessibility: screen readers announce paragraphs and allow users to navigate between them. The user knows where each block of text begins and ends.

Code example

<article>
  <h2>Why paragraphs matter</h2>
  <p>A paragraph groups related sentences into a single idea.</p>
  <p>Screen readers announce each paragraph, helping users
     navigate through the text efficiently.</p>
</article>

Further reading