Understanding the Basics of HTML and Its Tags

What is HTML?

HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It’s the foundation of the web—used to define the structure of web pages.

The HyperText part means it allows us to create links (called hyperlinks) between different web pages, forming the interconnected network we call the World Wide Web. The Markup part means we use tags (or elements) to label and organize the content.

Imagine you’re building a house:

HTML is the skeleton and structure of the house (walls, rooms, etc.).
CSS is like the paint and decorations (styles, colors, layouts).
JavaScript is like the wiring and appliances (making things interactive and functional).

Every website you visit—whether it’s a blog, a portfolio, an online store, or a social network—relies on HTML to define its structure.

🧱 Structure of an HTML Document

Every HTML document follows a specific format. Think of it like a recipe that browsers understand to display a webpage. Here’s a simple example:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>My First Webpage</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>Hello, World!</h1>
    <p>This is my first webpage.</p>
  </body>
</html>