What is the difference between inline and block elements in HTML?

Inline elements are designed to take up only as much width as necessary to display their content, meaning they do not push other elements onto a new line. They flow within the line of text or the surrounding content and do not start on a new line. This behavior is key for implementing layouts where text and elements like links or images need to appear alongside each other without disrupting the overall flow of text.

In contrast, block elements occupy the full width available, causing subsequent elements to start on a new line. Understanding this distinction is crucial when structuring an HTML layout, as it impacts spacing, alignment, and overall design.

The other statements do not accurately portray the characteristics of inline and block elements, since inline elements can vary in width based on their content, block elements can contain various types of content beyond just text, and block elements cannot be displayed as inline.