Introduction
The display property controls how elements appear on a webpage. Understanding block, inline, and inline-block display types is crucial for layout design.
1. Block-Level Elements
Block elements take up the full width available and start on a new line.
Examples:
<div><p><h1>to<h6>
Styling Example:
div {
display: block;
width: 50%;
background-color: lightgray;
}CSS2. Inline Elements
Inline elements do not start on a new line and only take up as much width as necessary.
Examples:
<span><a><strong>
Styling Example:
span {
display: inline;
color: red;
}CSS3. Inline-Block Elements
inline-block elements behave like inline elements but allow setting width and height.
Example:
div {
display: inline-block;
width: 150px;
height: 50px;
background-color: yellow;
}CSS4. Comparing Display Types
| Property | Block | Inline | Inline-Block |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starts on new line? | Yes | No | No |
| Respects width/height? | Yes | No | Yes |
| Can be placed in a line? | No | Yes | Yes |
5. Changing Default Display Behavior
Elements have default display values, but they can be changed.
span {
display: block;
}CSSConclusion
Understanding block, inline, and inline-block helps create flexible layouts. Proper use ensures better control over webpage structure.

