Tailwind CSS Text Wrap

Text wrapping is a CSS feature that ensures text flows properly within containers, preventing overflow or improper alignment. By controlling how text fits within its designated space, developers can achieve a well-structured and visually balanced design. Tailwind CSS provides a comprehensive suite of utilities for managing text wrap-related CSS properties, streamlining this process for developers.

With Tailwind, you can quickly apply wrapping behaviors through a variety of context-aware utilities, ensuring your text wrapping properties are both performant and responsive. This guide explores different facets of text wrap in Tailwind CSS, with step-by-step instructions, interactive states, and more.

Class	Properties	Example
`text-wrap`	`text-wrap: wrap;`	`<div className="text-wrap"></div>`
`text-nowrap`	`text-wrap: nowrap;`	`<div className="text-nowrap"></div>`
`text-balance`	`text-wrap: balance;`	`<div className="text-balance"></div>`
`text-pretty`	`text-wrap: pretty;`	`<div className="text-pretty"></div>`

Overview of Text Wrap

Adding the Text Wrap

Use text-wrap on the element that you want to wrap to the next line when overflowed:

This is a live editor. Play around with it!

import React from 'react';

export default function TextWrapContainer() {
  return (
    <div className="bg-gray-100 h-screen w-screen p-6">
      <img
          src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1517059224940-d4af9eec41b7"
          alt="Unsplash Example"
          className="mb-6 w-32 h-32 object-cover"
        />
      <p className="text-xl text-wrap">
        Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec
        odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla
        quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.
      </p>
    </div>
  );
}

Preventing Text from Wrapping

When desired, you can also disable text wrapping entirely using Tailwind's whitespace-nowrap utility. This can be useful for buttons, badges, or special layouts.

This is a live editor. Play around with it!

import React from 'react';

export default function NoWrapContainer() {
  return (
    <div className="bg-gray-100 h-screen w-screen p-6">
      <img
          src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1517059224940-d4af9eec41b7"
          alt="Unsplash Example"
          className="mb-6 w-32 h-32 object-cover"
        />
      <p className="text-xl text-nowrap">
        Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec
        odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla
        quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet.
      </p>
    </div>
  );
}

Balance The Text Evenly

Balanced wrapping ensures text evenly occupies space at all resolutions. Tailwind utilities like text-justify or custom balancing classes can help achieve this.

Take a look at a balanced wrapping scenario:

This is a live editor. Play around with it!

import React from 'react';

export default function BalancedTextWrap() {
  return (
      <p className="text-balance p-4">
        Duis sagittis ipsum. Praesent mauris. Fusce nec tellus sed augue semper
        porta. Mauris massa. Vestibulum lacinia arcu eget nulla. Duis luctus
        elit eget velit pellentesque, quis scelerisque arcu vestibulum.
      </p>
  );
}

Preventing Orphans at the End

You can add text-pretty to your text element to avoid a single word taking up the whole line at the end:

This is a live editor. Play around with it!

import React from 'react';

export default function BalancedTextWrap() {
  return (
      <p className="text-pretty p-4">
        Duis sagittis ipsum. Praesent mauris. Fusce nec tellus sed augue semper velit
        porta. Mauris massa. Vestibulum lacinia arcu eget nulla. Duis luctus velit
        elit eget velit pellentesque, quis scelerisque arcu vestibulum.
      </p>
  );
}

States and Responsiveness

So far, we’ve seen how to establish consistent text wrapping. However, in certain scenarios, you may want the wrapping behavior to adjust dynamically for user interactions or screen sizes. Tailwind facilitates this with responsive and state-specific utilities.

Hover and Focus States

Using hover and focus modifiers in Tailwind allows you to dynamically modify text wrapping based on user interactions. This feature is useful for interactive components or visual feedback.

Let’s implement a hover and focus wrapping behavior:

This is a live editor. Play around with it!

import React from 'react';

export default function InteractiveTextWrap() {
  return (
    <div className="h-screen w-screen bg-gray-100 flex flex-col justify-center items-center space-y-4">
      <p className="hover:text-nowrap focus:text-nowrap bg-blue-200 w-80 text-lg px-4 py-2 rounded">
        Hover over this text to prevent wrapping!
      </p>
    </div>
  );
}

Breakpoint Modifiers

Tailwind’s responsive design utilities allow you to set different text wrapping behaviors for specific screen sizes. This flexibility is invaluable for creating adaptive layouts.

Here’s an example with breakpoint-specific wrapping:

This is a live editor. Play around with it!

import React from 'react';

export default function ResponsiveTextBreakpoints() {
  return (
    <div className="h-screen w-screen bg-gray-50 p-6">
      <p className="text-lg sm:text-pretty md:text-balance lg:text-wrap xl:text-nowrap">
        Suspendisse in justo eu magna luctus suscipit. Sed lectus. Integer
        euismod lacus luctus magna. Quisque cursus, metus vitae pharetra
        auctor, sem massa mattis sem, at interdum magna augue eget diam.
      </p>
    </div>
  );
}

Real World Examples

Product Review Cards with Truncated Comments

This example shows how to handle long product reviews in a grid layout with proper text wrapping and truncation.

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export default function ProductReviews() {
  const reviews = [
    {
      id: 1,
      user: "Sarah Mitchell",
      comment: "This premium leather bag exceeded all my expectations. The craftsmanship is exceptional and the attention to detail is remarkable.",
      rating: 5,
      avatar: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1494790108377-be9c29b29330"
    },
    {
      id: 2,
      user: "James Wilson",
      comment: "The ergonomic design of this office chair has significantly improved my work-from-home setup. Highly recommended for professionals.",
      rating: 4,
      avatar: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1500648767791-00dcc994a43e"
    },
    {
      id: 3,
      user: "Emma Thompson",
      comment: "These wireless earbuds deliver crystal clear audio quality. The battery life is impressive, lasting through my longest workouts.",
      rating: 5,
      avatar: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1438761681033-6461ffad8d80"
    },
    {
      id: 4,
      user: "Michael Chen",
      comment: "The smart home security system was easy to install and provides peace of mind. The mobile app interface is intuitive.",
      rating: 4,
      avatar: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1472099645785-5658abf4ff4e"
    },
    {
      id: 5,
      user: "Lisa Rodriguez",
      comment: "This standing desk converter has transformed my workspace. Smooth height adjustment and sturdy construction.",
      rating: 5,
      avatar: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1487412720507-e7ab37603c6f"
    },
    {
      id: 6,
      user: "David Park",
      comment: "The mechanical keyboard's tactile feedback is perfect for programming. Build quality is exceptional.",
      rating: 4,
      avatar: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1463453091185-61582044d556"
    }
  ];

  return (
    <div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-6 p-6">
      {reviews.map((review) => (
        <div key={review.id} className="bg-white rounded-lg shadow-md p-4">
          <div className="flex items-center mb-4">
            <img
              src={review.avatar}
              alt={review.user}
              className="w-12 h-12 rounded-full object-cover"
            />
            <div className="ml-4">
              <h3 className="font-semibold text-gray-800">{review.user}</h3>
              <div className="flex text-yellow-400">
                {[...Array(review.rating)].map((_, i) => (
                  <span key={i}>★</span>
                ))}
              </div>
            </div>
          </div>
          <p className="text-gray-600 break-words overflow-hidden text-wrap">
            {review.comment}
          </p>
        </div>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}

Blog Post Preview Cards with Dynamic Text Wrap

This component demonstrates how to handle blog post previews with varying content lengths.

This is a live editor. Play around with it!

export default function BlogPreviews() {
  const posts = [
    {
      id: 1,
      title: "The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare",
      excerpt: "Exploring how AI is revolutionizing medical diagnosis and patient care through advanced machine learning algorithms.",
      author: "Dr. Emily Carter",
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1576091160399-112ba8d25d1d",
      category: "Technology"
    },
    {
      id: 2,
      title: "Sustainable Architecture: Building for Tomorrow",
      excerpt: "Examining innovative approaches to eco-friendly construction and renewable energy integration in modern buildings.",
      author: "Mark Stevens",
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1518005020951-eccb494ad742",
      category: "Architecture"
    },
    {
      id: 3,
      title: "The Rise of Plant-Based Cuisine",
      excerpt: "Discovering how plant-based cooking is reshaping the culinary landscape and influencing restaurant menus worldwide.",
      author: "Chef Maria Garcia",
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1512621776951-a57141f2eefd",
      category: "Food"
    },
    {
      id: 4,
      title: "Digital Privacy in the Age of Social Media",
      excerpt: "Understanding the importance of protecting personal data and maintaining privacy in an increasingly connected world.",
      author: "Alex Thompson",
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1563986768609-322da13575f3",
      category: "Privacy"
    },
    {
      id: 5,
      title: "The Science of Productivity",
      excerpt: "Analyzing research-backed methods to enhance focus, efficiency, and work-life balance in the modern workplace.",
      author: "Dr. Sarah Wong",
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1434030216411-0b793f4b4173",
      category: "Productivity"
    },
    {
      id: 6,
      title: "Urban Farming Revolution",
      excerpt: "Investigating the growing trend of urban agriculture and its impact on sustainable food production in cities.",
      author: "Tom Martinez",
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1530836369250-ef72a3f5cda8",
      category: "Agriculture"
    }
  ];

  return (
    <div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 xl:grid-cols-3 gap-8 p-8">
      {posts.map((post) => (
        <article key={post.id} className="bg-white rounded-xl overflow-hidden shadow-lg">
          <img
            src={post.image}
            alt={post.title}
            className="w-full h-48 object-cover"
          />
          <div className="p-6">
            <span className="text-sm font-medium text-blue-600">{post.category}</span>
            <h2 className="mt-2 text-xl font-bold text-gray-900">
              {post.title}
            </h2>
            <p className="mt-3 text-gray-600 text-wrap">
              {post.excerpt}
            </p>
            <div className="mt-4 flex items-center">
              <span className="text-sm text-gray-500">By {post.author}</span>
            </div>
          </div>
        </article>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}

E-commerce Product Description Cards

This component shows how to handle product descriptions with proper text wrapping in an e-commerce context.

This is a live editor. Play around with it!

export default function ProductGrid() {
  const products = [
    {
      id: 1,
      name: "Premium Wireless Noise-Cancelling Headphones",
      description: "Experience crystal-clear audio with advanced noise-cancelling technology and premium comfort for extended listening sessions.",
      price: 299.99,
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1505740420928-5e560c06d30e",
      category: "Electronics"
    },
    {
      id: 2,
      name: "Ergonomic Office Chair",
      description: "Professional-grade office chair with adjustable lumbar support and breathable mesh back for optimal comfort during long work hours.",
      price: 399.99,
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1505843490538-5133c6c7d0e1",
      category: "Furniture"
    },
    {
      id: 3,
      name: "Smart Fitness Watch",
      description: "Track your health and fitness goals with this advanced smartwatch featuring heart rate monitoring and GPS tracking.",
      price: 199.99,
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1523275335684-37898b6baf30",
      category: "Wearables"
    },
    {
      id: 4,
      name: "Professional Camera Lens",
      description: "High-quality telephoto lens with advanced optics for professional photography and stunning image quality.",
      price: 899.99,
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1516035069371-29a1b244cc32",
      category: "Photography"
    },
    {
      id: 5,
      name: "Minimalist Leather Backpack",
      description: "Handcrafted premium leather backpack with multiple compartments and laptop sleeve for everyday use.",
      price: 159.99,
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1553062407-98eeb64c6a62",
      category: "Accessories"
    },
    {
      id: 6,
      name: "Smart Home Security System",
      description: "Comprehensive home security solution with HD cameras, motion sensors, and smartphone integration.",
      price: 449.99,
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1558002038-bb4e5190ed1",
      category: "Smart Home"
    }
  ];

  return (
    <div className="bg-gray-100 p-8">
      <div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-8">
        {products.map((product) => (
          <div key={product.id} className="bg-white rounded-lg overflow-hidden shadow-md">
            <div className="relative h-64">
              <img
                src={product.image}
                alt={product.name}
                className="w-full h-full object-cover"
              />
              <span className="absolute top-4 right-4 bg-blue-600 text-white px-3 py-1 rounded-full text-sm">
                {product.category}
              </span>
            </div>
            <div className="p-6">
              <h3 className="text-lg font-bold text-gray-900 break-words line-clamp-2">
                {product.name}
              </h3>
              <p className="mt-2 text-gray-600 text-wrap">
                {product.description}
              </p>
              <div className="mt-4 flex justify-between items-center">
                <span className="text-2xl font-bold text-blue-600">
                  ${product.price}
                </span>
                <button className="bg-blue-600 text-white px-4 py-2 rounded-lg hover:bg-blue-700">
                  Add to Cart
                </button>
              </div>
            </div>
          </div>
        ))}
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

Team Member Profile Cards

This component demonstrates text wrapping for team member bios and expertise areas.

This is a live editor. Play around with it!

export default function TeamGrid() {
  const team = [
    {
      id: 1,
      name: "Dr. Amanda Chen",
      role: "Chief Technology Officer",
      bio: "Leading innovation in AI and machine learning with over 15 years of experience in developing scalable solutions for enterprise applications.",
      expertise: ["Artificial Intelligence", "Cloud Architecture", "Team Leadership"],
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1494790108377-be9c29b29330"
    },
    {
      id: 2,
      name: "Marcus Rodriguez",
      role: "Senior Product Designer",
      bio: "Passionate about creating intuitive user experiences and building design systems that scale across multiple platforms.",
      expertise: ["UX Design", "Design Systems", "Product Strategy"],
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1472099645785-5658abf4ff4e"
    },
    {
      id: 3,
      name: "Sarah Thompson",
      role: "Lead Developer",
      bio: "Full-stack developer specializing in React and Node.js ecosystems, with a focus on building performant web applications.",
      expertise: ["React", "Node.js", "AWS"],
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1438761681033-6461ffad8d80"
    },
    {
      id: 4,
      name: "David Kim",
      role: "Marketing Director",
      bio: "Strategic marketing professional with expertise in digital campaigns and brand development across global markets.",
      expertise: ["Digital Marketing", "Brand Strategy", "Analytics"],
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1500648767791-00dcc994a43e"
    },
    {
      id: 5,
      name: "Emily Watson",
      role: "UX Researcher",
      bio: "Conducting user research and usability studies to drive data-informed design decisions and improve product experiences.",
      expertise: ["User Research", "Data Analysis", "Prototyping"],
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1487412720507-e7ab37603c6f"
    },
    {
      id: 6,
      name: "Michael Foster",
      role: "Operations Manager",
      bio: "Streamlining business processes and implementing efficient workflows to optimize organizational performance.",
      expertise: ["Process Optimization", "Team Management", "Strategic Planning"],
      image: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1463453091185-61582044d556"
    }
  ];

  return (
    <div className="bg-gray-50 p-8">
      <div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-8">
        {team.map((member) => (
          <div key={member.id} className="bg-white rounded-xl shadow-lg overflow-hidden">
            <div className="p-6">
              <div className="flex items-center">
                <img
                  src={member.image}
                  alt={member.name}
                  className="w-20 h-20 rounded-full object-cover"
                />
                <div className="ml-4">
                  <h3 className="text-xl font-bold text-gray-900 text-wrap">
                    {member.name}
                  </h3>
                  <p className="text-blue-600">{member.role}</p>
                </div>
              </div>
              <p className="mt-4 text-gray-600 text-wrap">
                {member.bio}
              </p>
              <div className="mt-4">
                <h4 className="text-sm font-semibold text-gray-700">Expertise</h4>
                <div className="mt-2 flex flex-wrap gap-2">
                  {member.expertise.map((skill, index) => (
                    <span
                      key={index}
                      className="bg-blue-100 text-blue-800 text-sm px-3 py-1 rounded-full"
                    >
                      {skill}
                    </span>
                  ))}
                </div>
              </div>
            </div>
          </div>
        ))}
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

Feature Comparison Cards

This component shows how to handle feature descriptions with proper text wrapping in a comparison layout.

This is a live editor. Play around with it!

export default function FeatureComparison() {
  const features = [
    {
      id: 1,
      name: "Basic Plan",
      price: 29,
      description: "Perfect for individuals and small projects getting started with basic features and support.",
      features: [
        "5 Projects",
        "Basic Analytics",
        "24/7 Email Support",
        "1GB Storage",
        "2 Team Members",
        "Basic Security"
      ],
      icon: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1554224155-8d04cb21cd6c"
    },
    {
      id: 2,
      name: "Professional Plan",
      price: 79,
      description: "Ideal for growing businesses requiring advanced features and priority support options.",
      features: [
        "Unlimited Projects",
        "Advanced Analytics",
        "Priority Support",
        "10GB Storage",
        "10 Team Members",
        "Enhanced Security"
      ],
      icon: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1460925895917-afdab827c52f"
    },
    {
      id: 3,
      name: "Enterprise Plan",
      price: 199,
      description: "Comprehensive solution for large organizations needing custom features and dedicated support.",
      features: [
        "Custom Solutions",
        "Enterprise Analytics",
        "Dedicated Support",
        "Unlimited Storage",
        "Unlimited Team Members",
        "Advanced Security"
      ],
      icon: "https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1551288049-bebda4e38f71"
    },
  ];

  return (
    <div className="bg-gray-50 p-8">
      <div className="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-8">
        {features.map((plan) => (
          <div key={plan.id} className="bg-white rounded-lg shadow-lg overflow-hidden">
            <div className="p-6">
              <div className="flex items-center justify-between mb-4">
                <h3 className="text-xl text-nowrap font-bold text-gray-900">{plan.name}</h3>
                <img
                  src={plan.icon}
                  alt={plan.name}
                  className="w-12 h-12 rounded-full object-cover"
                />
              </div>
              <p className="text-gray-600 text-wrap mb-6">
                {plan.description}
              </p>
              <div className="text-3xl font-bold text-blue-600 mb-6">
                ${plan.price}/mo
              </div>
              <ul className="space-y-3">
                {plan.features.map((feature, index) => (
                  <li key={index} className="flex items-center text-gray-700">
                    <span className="mr-2">✓</span>
                    <span className="break-words">{feature}</span>
                  </li>
                ))}
              </ul>
              <button className="mt-6 w-full bg-blue-600 text-white py-2 rounded-lg hover:bg-blue-700 transition-colors">
                Choose Plan
              </button>
            </div>
          </div>
        ))}
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}

Best Practices

Maintain Design Consistency

Consistency is key to a professional design system. When applying Tailwind’s text-wrap utilities, ensure a uniform look and feel across your project by adhering to the following principles:

Use a Consistent Wrapping Strategy: Stick to a wrapping strategy like text-wrap or text-balance consistently across similar content blocks. For body text, text-wrap is often the most predictable choice, ensuring words break naturally without forcing uneven line breaks.

Style Components Uniformly: When working with reusable components, apply the same text-wrap utility. For example, all card descriptions can use text-wrap, while hero sections could use text-balance for a more balanced appearance.

Balance with Other Layout Properties

Text wrapping operates best when aligned with structural layout properties. Using layouts such as flex or grid ensure adequate space for Text Wrap functionality.

Using these properties avoids truncated or improperly wrapped content, enhancing clarity. Striking the right balance between layout adjustments and text wrapping ensures aesthetically deliberate designs without sacrificing usability.

Accessibility Considerations

Enhance Readability and Navigability

Text wrapping is vital in improving how users read and navigate content. Tailwind CSS allows developers to apply wrapping styles intelligently based on content type and layout. For example, applying text-balance in articles or news layouts ensures text is spaced evenly within its container, creating visually clear columns.

This is a live editor. Play around with it!

export default function AccessibilityFocusedContent() {
  return (
    <div className="p-6 bg-gray-50">
      <h2 className="text-2xl font-bold mb-4">Making Design Accessible</h2>
      <p className="text-balance text-gray-700 leading-relaxed">
        Accessibility-focused design ensures everyone, regardless of abilities,
        can access and interact with content effectively. It is important to use
        design elements such as text wrapping to prevent visual clutter, which can
        hinder readability for neurodivergent users or individuals with cognitive impairments.
      </p>
    </div>
  );
}

By wrapping longer paragraphs intelligently, visual noise is minimized, aiding users with visual impairments, dyslexia, or limited attention spans. Combined with adequate line-heights like leading-relaxed and proper font contrast, these configurations elevate user readability.

Focus on High Contrast

Pairing text wrapping with contrast-aware background utilities remains critical for diverse demographics, including those with visual impairments. Utilities like text-gray-700 combined with bg-gray-100 offer sufficient color contrasts while preserving professional aesthetics.

Use Tailwind's configurable theming to integrate WCAG 2.1-compliant color schemes into your text-wrapping strategy. Contrast-aware wrapping guarantees usability, reducing strain during extended browsing or reading.

Text Align Text Transform