# HTML5 Semantic Elements
Confidence: high
Last verified: 2026-05-22
Generation: human_only


## TL;DR

HTML5 (2014) introduced semantic elements that describe their meaning to both browser and developer: `<header>`, `<nav>`, `<main>`, `<article>`, `<section>`, `<aside>`, `<footer>`, `<figure>`, `<time>`. They improve accessibility (screen readers), SEO, and code readability.

## Core Explanation

`<main>` should be used once per page (dominant content). `<article>` for self-contained, independently distributable content. `<section>` for thematic grouping with a heading. `<aside>` for tangentially related content. Semantic HTML provides implicit ARIA roles — `<nav>` = role='navigation', `<main>` = role='main'. Always prefer semantic elements over `<div>`.

## Further Reading

- [HTML Living Standard](https://html.spec.whatwg.org/)