---
title: ruby-align
slug: Web/CSS/ruby-align
translation_of: Web/CSS/ruby-align
---
<div>{{CSSRef}}{{SeeCompatTable}}</div>

<h2 id="Summary">Summary</h2>

<p>The <code><strong>ruby-align</strong></code> CSS property defines the distribution of the different ruby elements over the base.</p>

<p>{{cssinfo}}</p>

<h2 id="Syntax">Syntax</h2>

<pre class="brush:css">/* Keyword values */
ruby-align: start;
ruby-align: center;
ruby-align: space-between;
ruby-align: space-around;

/* Global values */
ruby-align: inherit;
ruby-align: initial;
ruby-align: unset;
</pre>

<h3 id="Values">Values</h3>

<dl>
 <dt><code>start</code></dt>
 <dd>Is a keyword indicating that the ruby will be aligned with the start of the base text.</dd>
 <dt><code>center</code></dt>
 <dd>Is a keyword indicating that the ruby will be aligned at the middle of the base text</dd>
 <dt><code>space-between</code></dt>
 <dd>Is a keyword indicating that the extra space will be distributed between the elements of the ruby.</dd>
 <dt><code>space-around</code></dt>
 <dd>Is a keyword indicating that the extra space will be distributed between the elements of the ruby, and around it.</dd>
</dl>

<h3 id="Formal_syntax">Formal syntax</h3>

{{csssyntax}}

<h2 id="Examples">Examples</h2>

<p>This HTML will render differently with each value of <code>ruby-align</code>:</p>

<pre class="brush: html">&lt;ruby&gt;
  &lt;rb&gt;This is a long text to check&lt;/rb&gt;
  &lt;rp&gt;（&lt;/rp&gt;&lt;rt&gt;short ruby&lt;/rt&gt;&lt;rp&gt;）&lt;/rp&gt;
&lt;/ruby&gt;
</pre>

<h3 id="Ruby_aligned_at_the_start_of_the_base_text">Ruby aligned at the start of the base text</h3>

<pre class="brush: html" style="display: none;">&lt;ruby&gt;
  &lt;rb&gt;This is a long text to check&lt;/rb&gt;
  &lt;rp&gt;（&lt;/rp&gt;&lt;rt&gt;short ruby&lt;/rt&gt;&lt;rp&gt;）&lt;/rp&gt;
&lt;/ruby&gt;
</pre>

<pre class="brush: css">ruby {
    ruby-align:start;
}</pre>

<p>This gives the following result:</p>

<p>{{EmbedLiveSample("Ruby_aligned_at_the_start_of_the_base_text", 180, 40)}}</p>

<h3 id="Ruby_aligned_at_the_center_of_the_base_text">Ruby aligned at the center of the base text</h3>

<pre class="brush: html" style="display: none;">&lt;ruby&gt;
  &lt;rb&gt;This is a long text to check&lt;/rb&gt;
  &lt;rp&gt;（&lt;/rp&gt;&lt;rt&gt;short ruby&lt;/rt&gt;&lt;rp&gt;）&lt;/rp&gt;
&lt;/ruby&gt;
</pre>

<pre class="brush: css">ruby {
    ruby-align:center;
}</pre>

<p>This gives the following result:</p>

<p>{{EmbedLiveSample("Ruby_aligned_at_the_center_of_the_base_text", 180, 40)}}</p>

<h3 id="Extra_space_distributed_between_ruby_elements">Extra space distributed between ruby elements</h3>

<pre class="brush: html" style="display: none;">&lt;ruby&gt;
  &lt;rb&gt;This is a long text to check&lt;/rb&gt;
  &lt;rp&gt;（&lt;/rp&gt;&lt;rt&gt;short ruby&lt;/rt&gt;&lt;rp&gt;）&lt;/rp&gt;
&lt;/ruby&gt;
</pre>

<pre class="brush: css">ruby {
    ruby-align:space-between;
}</pre>

<p>This gives the following result:</p>

<p>{{EmbedLiveSample("Extra_space_distributed_between_ruby_elements", 180, 40)}}</p>

<h3 id="Extra_space_distributed_between_and_around_ruby_element">Extra space distributed between and around ruby element</h3>

<pre class="brush: html" style="display: none;">&lt;ruby&gt;
  &lt;rb&gt;This is a long text to check&lt;/rb&gt;
  &lt;rp&gt;（&lt;/rp&gt;&lt;rt&gt;short ruby&lt;/rt&gt;&lt;rp&gt;）&lt;/rp&gt;
&lt;/ruby&gt;
</pre>

<pre class="brush: css">ruby {
    ruby-align:space-around;
}</pre>

<p>This gives the following result:</p>

<p>{{EmbedLiveSample("Extra_space_distributed_between_and_around_ruby_element", 180, 40)}}</p>

<h2 id="Specifications">Specifications</h2>

<table class="standard-table">
 <thead>
  <tr>
   <th scope="col">Specification</th>
   <th scope="col">Status</th>
   <th scope="col">Comment</th>
  </tr>
 </thead>
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <td>{{ SpecName('CSS3 Ruby', '#ruby-align-property', 'ruby-align') }}</td>
   <td>{{ Spec2('CSS3 Ruby') }}</td>
   <td>Initial definition</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

<h2 id="Browser_compatibility" name="Browser_compatibility">Browser compatibility</h2>

<p>{{ CompatibilityTable() }}</p>

<div id="compat-desktop">
<table class="compat-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th>Feature</th>
   <th>Chrome</th>
   <th>Firefox (Gecko)</th>
   <th>Internet Explorer</th>
   <th>Opera</th>
   <th>Safari (WebKit)</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td rowspan="1">Basic support</td>
   <td rowspan="1">{{ CompatNo }} </td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoDesktop(38)}}</td>
   <td rowspan="1">{{ CompatNo }} [1]</td>
   <td rowspan="1">{{ CompatNo }} </td>
   <td rowspan="1">{{ CompatNo }}</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
</div>

<div id="compat-mobile">
<table class="compat-table">
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <th>Feature</th>
   <th>Android</th>
   <th>Firefox Mobile (Gecko)</th>
   <th>IE Phone</th>
   <th>Opera Mobile</th>
   <th>Safari Mobile</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td>Basic support</td>
   <td>{{ CompatNo }} </td>
   <td>{{CompatGeckoMobile(38)}}</td>
   <td>{{ CompatNo }} [1]</td>
   <td>{{ CompatNo }} </td>
   <td>CompatNo</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>
</div>

<p>[1] Internet Explorer, since IE9, implements an early draft of CSS Ruby where <code>ruby-align</code> had the following properties: <code>auto</code>, <code>left</code>, <code>center</code>, <code>right</code>, <code>distribute-letter</code>, <code>distribute-space</code>, and <code>line-edge</code>. Here is a rough conversion table:</p>

<table class="standard-table">
 <thead>
  <tr>
   <th scope="col">IE syntax</th>
   <th scope="col">Standard syntax</th>
  </tr>
 </thead>
 <tbody>
  <tr>
   <td><code>auto</code></td>
   <td>Don't use <code>ruby-align</code></td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>left</code></td>
   <td>Use <code>start</code> (in ltr scripts)</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>center</code></td>
   <td><code>center</code></td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>right</code></td>
   <td>Use <code>start</code> (in rtl scripts)</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>distribute-letter</code></td>
   <td>No direct equivalent, use <code>space-between</code> or <code>space-around</code></td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>distribute-space</code></td>
   <td><code>space-around</code></td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
   <td><code>line-edge</code></td>
   <td>No direct equivalent.</td>
  </tr>
 </tbody>
</table>

<h2 id="See_also">See also</h2>

<ul>
 <li>HTML Ruby elements: {{HTMLElement("ruby")}}, {{HTMLElement("rt")}}, {{HTMLElement("rp")}}, and {{HTMLElement("rtc")}}.</li>
 <li>CSS Ruby properties: {{cssxref("ruby-position")}}, {{cssxref("ruby-merge")}}.</li>
</ul>