Widows, Orphans, Runt Lines and Hanging Conjunctions in Text: What Do They Mean?

What is text formatting?

This includes factors such as typeface, font size, text style, line spacing, indents and paragraphs, margins, colours, lists and numbering. Text is generally expected to be justified and have 1.5 line spacing. Font sizes of 11–14 points are commonly used.

What is typesetting?

Its main purpose is to ensure a smooth reading experience and eliminate unwanted effects such as widows, orphans, runt lines and hanging conjunctions. When typesetting text, you should consider, among other things:

• line length − lines that are too long can make reading more difficult, while lines that are too short can distract the reader. An average line length of around 60–70 characters is recommended, although this may vary depending on the typeface and font size.
• word breaks − words should be divided at appropriate points to avoid incorrect breaks that make reading more difficult. One example of a poor word break is when a single letter is left at the end of a line and the rest of the word moves to the next line. Correct word division is important for maintaining readability.

Typographical errors

Here are the most common typesetting errors and what they mean. Check whether you are making them.

Runt line

A typographical error in which a very short line, for example one containing a single word, is left at the end of a paragraph.

Widow

A so-called stranded line: the final line of a paragraph appears on its own at the beginning of a new column or page.

Hanging conjunction

A conjunction or other short word left on its own at the end of a line. In some languages, this is governed by specific typographic conventions; in English, it is generally treated as an aesthetic issue rather than a strict rule.

Orphan

The first line of a new paragraph left at the bottom of the preceding column or page.

Formatting and typesetting on websites

However, hanging conjunctions often appear, and they are generally acceptable on websites. If you would still like to deal with them, HTML codes can help. The most useful and commonly used codes for formatting and typesetting text include:

• <h1> </h1> − a top-level heading;
• <h2> </h2> − a second-level heading;
• <h3> </h3> − a third-level heading;
•  <b> </b> − bold text;
• <i> </i> − italic text;
• <u> </u> − underlined text;
• <br> − a line break;
• <li> − a list item;
• &nbsp; − a non-breaking space;
• <wbr> − an optional line break, used only when necessary.

Although web copy is formatted somewhat differently from text saved in files or prepared for print, you should still pay attention to its appearance and make sure it does not contain widows, orphans, runt lines or hanging conjunctions.