#summary The abbr element represents an abbreviation or acronym.
#labels about-html,is-html-element,from-w3c

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== Usage ==

The `title` attribute should be used to provide an expansion of the abbreviation. If present, the attribute must only contain an expansion of the abbreviation.

Much virtual ink has been spilled debating the difference between acronyms (using the `<acronym>` element) and abbreviations (using the `<abbr>` element).  In theory, abbreviations are spelled out letter by letter (so "HTTP" is pronounced "H, T, T, P") while acronyms are pronounced as words (so "ASCII" is pronounced "as-kee").  In practice, neither authors nor user agents got the distinction right, and the `<acronym>` element was simply dropped in HTML 5.

== Browser compatibility ==

[ArticleBrowserCompatibilityLegend Compatibility table legend]

|| *Test* || *IE8* || *IE7* || *IE6* || *FF3* || *FF2* || *Saf3* || *Op9* || *Chrome* ||
|| [http://doctype.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/tests/html/elements/abbr-element-appears-in-dom-test.html appears in DOM] || Y || Y || Y || Y || Y || Y || Y || Y ||
|| [http://doctype.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/tests/html/elements/abbr-element-applies-style-test.html applies style] || Y || N || Y || Y || Y || Y || Y || Y ||

== Further reading ==

  * [http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/#the-abbr The abbr element in HTML 5]
  * [http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/struct/text.html#h-9.2.1 The abbr element in HTML 4]
  * [http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms535177.aspx The abbr element on MSDN]
  * [http://www.blooberry.com/indexdot/html/tagpages/a/abbr.htm The history of the abbr element on blooberry.com]
  * [http://reference.sitepoint.com/html/abbr The abbr element on The SitePoint HTML Reference]