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initial-letter

Experimental: This is an experimental technology
Check the Browser compatibility table carefully before using this in production.

The initial-letter CSS property sets styling for dropped, raised, and sunken initial letters.

/* Keyword values */
initial-letter: normal;

/* Numeric values */
initial-letter: 1.5; /* Initial letter occupies 1.5 lines */
initial-letter: 3; /* Initial letter occupies 3 lines */
initial-letter: 3 2; /* Initial letter occupies 3 lines and
                           sinks 2 lines */

/* Global values */
initial-letter: inherit;
initial-letter: initial;
initial-letter: revert;
initial-letter: revert-layer;
initial-letter: unset;

Syntax

The keyword value normal, or a <number> optionally followed by an <integer>.

Values

normal

No special initial-letter effect. Text behaves as normal.

<number>

Defines the size of the initial letter, in terms of how many lines it occupies. Negative values are not allowed.

<integer>

Defines the number of lines the initial letter should sink when the size of it is given. Values must be greater than zero. If omitted, it duplicates the size value, floored to the nearest positive whole number.

Formal definition

Initial value normal
Applies to ::first-letter pseudo-elements and inline-level first child of a block container
Inherited no
Computed value as specified
Animation type discrete

Formal syntax

initial-letter = 
normal |
<number [1,∞]> <integer [1,∞]> |
<number [1,∞]> && [ drop | raise ]?

Examples

Setting initial letter size

HTML

<p class="normal">Initial letter is normal</p>
<p class="onefive">Initial letter occupies 1.5 lines</p>
<p class="three">Initial letter occupies 3 lines</p>

CSS

.normal::first-letter {
  -webkit-initial-letter: normal;
  initial-letter: normal;
}

.onefive::first-letter {
  -webkit-initial-letter: 1.5;
  initial-letter: 1.5;
}

.three::first-letter {
  -webkit-initial-letter: 3;
  initial-letter: 3;
}

Result

Specifications

Browser compatibility

Desktop Mobile
Chrome Edge Firefox Internet Explorer Opera Safari WebView Android Chrome Android Firefox for Android Opera Android Safari on IOS Samsung Internet
initial-letter 110 110
NoSee bug 1223880.
No 96
9See bug 229090 for the unprefixed property.
110 110
NoSee bug 1223880.
74
9See bug 229090 for the unprefixed property.
No

See also

© 2005–2023 MDN contributors.
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License v2.5 or later.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/initial-letter