Web Programming with HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript

2.16 sub, sup, s, mark, and small Elements

Now for some elements that don’t quite fit together, but they’re close enough, so we can combine them to avoid ridiculously small sections in the book. The sub, sup, s, mark, and small elements refer to “things,” but for each of them, their most striking characteristic is their appearance and not what they are.

The sup element is for a superscript. Typically, browsers display sup elements with a slightly raised smaller font. For an example, see Figure 2.10, where the “th” in 19^th is superscripted.

The sub element is for a subscript. Typically, browsers display sub elements with a slightly lowered smaller font. Here’s an example with 2 subscripted:

Why is water sometimes referred to as H₂O? Because ...