Technique H28:Providing definitions for abbreviations by using the abbr element
About this Technique
This technique relates to 3.1.4: Abbreviations (Sufficient when used with G102: Providing the expansion or explanation of an abbreviation).
This technique applies to HTML.
Description
The objective of this technique is to provide expansions or definitions for
abbreviations by using the abbr
element. It is always appropriate to use the abbr
element for any abbreviation, including acronyms and initialisms.
Examples
Example 1: Using abbr
element to expand abbreviations
<p>Sugar is commonly sold in 5 <abbr title="pound">lb.</abbr> bags.</p>
<p>Welcome to the <abbr title="World Wide Web">WWW</abbr>!</p>
Example 2: Using dfn
and abbr
element to define abbreviations
<p>Tasini
<dfn id="etal"><abbr title="and others">et al.</abbr></dfn>
<abbr title="versus">v.</abbr>
The New York Times <abbr title="and others">et al.</abbr> is the landmark lawsuit
brought by members of the National Writers Union against ...
</p>
Example 3: Using the abbr
element to expand an acronym
<p>Recent updates to the <abbr title="Cascading Style Sheets">CSS</abbr> color module ...</p>
Example 4: Using the abbr
element to expand an initialism
<p><abbr title="British Broadcasting Corporation">BBC</abbr></p>
Related Resources
No endorsement implied.
Tests
Procedure
- Check that an expansion or definition is provided for each abbreviation via
abbr
.
Expected Results
- Check #1 is true.