Definition: Text spacing is the space between lines, paragraphs, letters and words. WCAG 1.4.12 (Level AA) does not prescribe particular spacing; it requires a page to cope with more of it: when users increase spacing with their own settings, no content or function may be lost [1].
German: Textabstände · Last reviewed: 27 September 2026
Who it helps
Many people with dyslexia or low vision read more easily when lines and words sit further apart. They set this with browser extensions, user stylesheets or reading tools. That only helps if the layout grows with the text instead of clipping buttons or stacking lines on top of each other.
The four values
A page must cope with at least these settings without losing anything [1][2]:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Line height | 1.5 times the font size |
| Spacing after paragraphs | 2 times the font size |
| Letter spacing | 0.12 times the font size |
| Word spacing | 0.16 times the font size |
The page does not have to use these values itself. It just must not break when somebody applies them. Languages and scripts that do not use one of these properties are only held to the others [2].
An example: at a 16-pixel font size, that means a 24-pixel line height, 32 pixels after each paragraph, almost 2 extra pixels between letters and over 2.5 pixels between words. Text with long words runs noticeably wider – and that is where rigid layouts break first.
Common mistakes
- Fixed heights on buttons, cards or menu items: the text grows, the box does not, and the rest is cut off.
overflow: hiddenon containers that hold text.- Inline styles with
!importantthat override the user's own settings. - Text in images, which cannot adapt at all.
In code
/* Text gets cut off */
.card-title {
height: 48px;
overflow: hidden;
}/* The box grows with the text */
.card-title {
min-height: 48px;
}How to test it
The W3C points to a bookmarklet that applies the four values to any page [2]. You can also set them as CSS in the developer tools. Then work through the page: is text cut off, does anything overlap, has a button disappeared?
How Reviseberg handles it
Reviseberg uses the axe-core rule avoid-inline-spacing to report inline styles that pin spacing with !important and so block the user's own settings. Whether the page still works with larger spacing is something axe-core does not test; a person has to check with the values above. Reviseberg therefore treats 1.4.12 as only partly testable by automation.
Related terms
Reflow · Screen magnifier · Plain language · Contrast ratio