HTML is the markup language used to create documents displayed as web pages.
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It describes a page’s structure and meaning by using elements such as headings, paragraphs, lists, images, forms, and hyperlinks. Web browsers read those elements and render them into the pages people see.
HTML was created by Tim Berners-Lee during the development of the World Wide Web at CERN around 1990. Its linking system made it possible for documents on different computers to reference one another. HTML later evolved through versions including HTML 2.0, HTML 4, XHTML, and HTML5; today, the WHATWG maintains the continuously updated HTML Living Standard.
HTML is often confused with CSS and JavaScript. HTML supplies structure and content, CSS controls presentation and layout, and JavaScript adds programming and interactivity. PHP is a server-side programming language, while XML is a broader markup format for exchanging structured data.