Span vs. Div — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 26, 2024
Span is an inline element used for styling and markup within a line, while div is a block-level element used to structure larger blocks of content.
Difference Between Span and Div
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
In HTML, a span element is designed to be used as an inline container for text or other inline elements, making it ideal for applying styles or small-scale effects within text. Whereas, a div element is a block-level container that is used to structure and group larger portions of the document, often to apply layout designs.
Span does not inherently break the flow of text, meaning it does not start on a new line and only takes up as much width as necessary. On the other hand, div elements create a "block" of space in the layout, breaking the flow and starting on a new line, taking up the full width available.
Styling changes applied to a span tag affect only the content within the span without disrupting the surrounding elements. Conversely, styling applied to a div can restructure the layout of entire sections of a webpage because of its block-level nature.
Span is commonly used when you need to target a small text segment for styling purposes like changing color, font, or adding animations. While div is often used as a container for other HTML elements, serving as a structural tool for web developers to organize content in a visually coherent manner.
Comparison Chart
Display type
Inline
Block
ADVERTISEMENT
Usage
Styling and markup within text lines
Structuring larger blocks of content
Line break
No inherent line break
Starts on a new line
Width
Takes up only necessary width
Expands to the full width available
Containment
Cannot contain block-level elements
Can contain any type of elements
Compare with Definitions
Span
Inline HTML element used for text styling.
<span style=color: red;>Important</span>
Div
Full width by default, influencing layout significantly.
<div class=full-width>Full width content</div>
Span
Markup within text without disrupting document flow.
Text with <span class=highlight>highlighted</span> section.
Div
Often used for CSS grid or flexbox layouts.
<div class=flex-container>Flex items here</div>
Span
Does not support block-level elements inside.
<span><div>This is invalid HTML</div></span>
Div
Block-level HTML element for structural organization.
<div class=header>Header Section</div>
Span
The extent or measure of space between two points or extremities, as of a bridge or roof; the breadth.
Div
Can hold both inline and block elements.
<div><p>Paragraph inside a div.</p></div>
Span
The distance between the tips of the wings of an airplane.
Div
Serves as a container for styling or grouping other elements.
<div style=background-color: blue;>Blue background</div>
Span
The section between two abutments or piers of a bridge.
Div
A function, implemented in many programming languages, that returns the result of a division of two integers.
Span
Something, such as a railroad trestle or bridge, that extends from one point to another.
Div
(web design) A section of a web page, or the
div element that represents it in HTML code.Section break
Span
The distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger when the hand is fully extended, formerly used as a unit of measure equal to about 9 inches (23 centimeters).
Div
A division; a lesson.
Span
A period of time
A span of life.
Div
Division; a subject with multidisciplinary scope.
Span
(Nautical) A stretch of rope made fast at either end.
Div
(military) A division.
Span
A pair of animals, such as oxen, matched as in size or color and driven as a team.
Div
(vector calculus) Divergence; a kind of differential operator.
Span
To extend across in space or time
A bridge that spans the gorge.
A career that spanned 40 years.
Div
Divinity, as a school subject.
Span
To encircle or cover with the hand or hands.
Div
A foolish person; an idiot.
Span
To measure in spans.
Span
A past tense of spin.
Span
The full width of an open hand from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger used as an informal unit of length.
Span
Any of various traditional units of length approximating this distance, especially the English handspan of 9 inches forming ⅛ fathom and equivalent to 22.86 cm.
Span
(by extension) A small space or a brief portion of time.
He has a short attention span and gets bored within minutes.
Span
A portion of something by length; a subsequence.
Span
The spread or extent of an arch or between its abutments, or of a beam, girder, truss, roof, bridge, or the like, between supports.
Span
The length of a cable, wire, rope, chain between two consecutive supports.
Span
(nautical) A rope having its ends made fast so that a purchase can be hooked to the bight; also, a rope made fast in the center so that both ends can be used.
Span
A pair of horses or other animals driven together; usually, such a pair of horses when similar in color, form, and action.
Span
(mathematics) The space of all linear combinations of something.
Span
(computing) The time required to execute a parallel algorithm on an infinite number of processors, i.e. the shortest distance across a directed acyclic graph representing the computation steps.
Span
Wingspan of a plane or bird
Span
(transitive) To extend through the distance between or across.
The suspension bridge spanned the canyon.
Span
(transitive) To extend through (a time period).
The parking lot spans three acres.
The novel spans three centuries.
Span
(transitive) To measure by the span of the hand with the fingers extended, or with the fingers encompassing the object.
To span a space or distance; to span a cylinder
Span
(mathematics) To generate an entire space by means of linear combinations.
Span
To be matched, as horses.
Span
(transitive) To fetter, as a horse; to hobble.
Span
The space from the thumb to the end of the little finger when extended; nine inches; eighth of a fathom.
Span
Hence, a small space or a brief portion of time.
Yet not to earth's contracted spanThy goodness let me bound.
Life's but a span; I'll every inch enjoy.
Span
The spread or extent of an arch between its abutments, or of a beam, girder, truss, roof, bridge, or the like, between its supports.
Span
A rope having its ends made fast so that a purchase can be hooked to the bight; also, a rope made fast in the center so that both ends can be used.
Span
A pair of horses or other animals driven together; usually, such a pair of horses when similar in color, form, and action.
Span
To measure by the span of the hand with the fingers extended, or with the fingers encompassing the object; as, to span a space or distance; to span a cylinder.
My right hand hath spanned the heavens.
Span
To reach from one side of to the order; to stretch over as an arch.
The rivers were spanned by arches of solid masonry.
Span
To fetter, as a horse; to hobble.
Span
To be matched, as horses.
Span
The complete duration of something;
The job was finished in the span of an hour
Span
The distance or interval between two points
Span
Two items of the same kind
Span
A unit of length based on the width of the expanded human hand (usually taken as 9 inches)
Span
A structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
Span
The act of sitting or standing astride
Span
To cover or extend over an area or time period;
Rivers traverse the valley floor
The parking lot spans 3 acres
The novel spans three centuries
Span
Container for small-scale effects or animations.
<span class=tooltip>Hover over me!</span>
Span
Utilizes CSS for targeted styling within lines.
<span style=font-weight: bold;>Bold text</span>
Common Curiosities
Why might you choose a span over a div?
For inline styling within a line of text without breaking the flow.
What is the default display type for a div?
Div is a block-level element.
What is the primary use of a span element?
It is used for inline styling within text.
Can a span element contain a div element?
No, span cannot contain block-level elements like div.
What types of content can a span hold?
It can hold inline elements and text.
How does a div element affect page layout?
It starts on a new line and takes up the full width available.
How do margins and paddings behave on a span?
They apply but do not cause line breaks.
Are there any HTML elements that behave like span?
The em and strong tags are similar but carry semantic meaning.
Is it possible to use a div instead of a span for inline elements?
No, it is not possible.
Can div elements be nested within other divs?
Yes, divs can be nested inside each other.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Screengrab vs. Screenshot
Next Comparison
Particular vs. UniversalAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
