Web/CSS/text-underline-offset

The text-underline-offset CSS property sets the offset distance of an underline text decoration line (applied using text-decoration) from its original position.

text-underline-offset is not part of the text-decoration shorthand. While an element can have multiple text-decoration lines, text-underline-offset only impacts underlining, and not other possible line decoration options such as overline or line-through.

Syntax

/* Single keyword */
text-underline-offset: auto;

/* length */
text-underline-offset: 0.1em;
text-underline-offset: 3px;

/* percentage */
text-underline-offset: 20%;

/* Global values */
text-underline-offset: inherit;
text-underline-offset: initial;
text-underline-offset: unset;

The text-underline-offset property is specified as a single value from the list below.

Values

auto: The browser chooses the appropriate offset for underlines.
<length>: Specifies the offset of underlines as a <length>, overriding the font file suggestion and the browser default. It is recommended to use em units so the offset scales with the font size.
<percentage>: Specifies the offset of underlines as a <percentage> of 1 em in the element's font. A percentage inherits as a relative value, and so therefore scales with changes in the font. For a given application of this property, the offset is constant across the whole box that the underline is applied to, even if there are child elements with different font sizes or vertical alignment.

Formal definition

Initial value	`auto`
Applies to	all elements. It also applies to `::first-letter` and `::first-line`.
Inherited	yes
Percentages	refer to the font size of the element itself
Computed value	as specified
Animation type	by computed value type

Formal syntax

auto | <length> | <percentage>

Examples

Demonstration of text-underline-offset

<p class="oneline">Here's some text with an offset wavy red underline!</p>
<br>
<p class="twolines">This text has lines both above and below it. Only the bottom one is offset.</p>

p { 
  text-decoration: underline wavy red;
  text-underline-offset: 1em;
}

.twolines {
  text-decoration-color: purple;
  text-decoration-line: underline overline;
}

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
CSS Text Decoration Module Level 4The definition of 'text-underline-offset' in that specification.	Working Draft	Initial definition.

Browser compatibility

Update compatibility data on GitHub

	Desktop						Mobile
	Chrome	Edge	Firefox	Internet Explorer	Opera	Safari	Android webview	Chrome for Android	Firefox for Android	Opera for Android	Safari on iOS	Samsung Internet
`text-underline-offset`	Chrome No support No Notes' No support No Notes' Notes' See Chrome Platform Status entry for text-decoration-thickness, text-underline-offset and from-font keyword for text-underline-position.	Edge No support No	Firefox Full support 70 Full support 70 Full support 69 Disabled' Disabled' From version 69: this feature is behind the `layout.css.text-underline-offset.enabled` preference (needs to be set to `true`). To change preferences in Firefox, visit about:config.	IE No support No	Opera No support No	Safari Full support 12.1	WebView Android No support No	Chrome Android No support No	Firefox Android No support No	Opera Android No support No	Safari iOS Full support 12.2	Samsung Internet Android No support No
percentage values	Chrome No support No	Edge No support No	Firefox Full support 74	IE No support No	Opera No support No	Safari No support No	WebView Android No support No	Chrome Android No support No	Firefox Android No support No	Opera Android No support No	Safari iOS No support No	Samsung Internet Android No support No

Legend

Full support: Full support
No support: No support
See implementation notes.': See implementation notes.
User must explicitly enable this feature.': User must explicitly enable this feature.