Css vertical alignment text inside li

Flexbox to the rescue

Flexbox offers a modern, efficient, and predictable way to align text vertically inside li elements, freeing you from the traditional unpredictable methods such as vertical-align or floats. It's especially useful when handling multi-line text or crafting complex layouts — aligning content neatly across different browsers and screen sizes.

Saluting browser-compatibility

Flexbox has wide support in current browsers, but don't forget to check using tools like caniuse.com for older versions. You might need to include vendor prefixes for those digital dinosaurs.

li {
  display: -webkit-flex; /* a nod to the elders */
  display: flex;
  -webkit-align-items: center;
  align-items: center;
}
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Dial V for vertical and H for horizontal alignment

When you need to center items both vertically and horizontally, use the Flexbox properties align-items: center; and justify-content: center;. This pair transforms your li into a perfect alignment universe.

li {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center; /* I feel balanced already */
}
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The flexbox playbook for vertical alignment

Navigating nested content

When you use line-height for centering, bear in mind that this might cause odd behaviors in nested elements they tend to play the copycat. Flexbox, on the other hand, maintains alignment rights strictly for the li element, avoiding those awkward inheritance moments.

Inline elements and the 'white' lies

For inline or inline-block elements, vertical-align: middle; can help level things out. But watch out for those sneaky whitespaces between elements in your HTML, they might throw your alignment off. Remove spaces or encase them in comments for more control.

Flex container dimensions: Size does matter

The flex-child's vertical alignment heavily depends on the height of the flex-container: your li element. If height is not preset or depends on content, equip the child elements with a height: 100% property.

li {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  height: 100%; /* stretch goals */
}
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Multi-line text just flex it

For multiline texts, line-height takes a backseat. Handle this using the superstar combo of display: flex and align-items: center instead - they'll keep your text aligned, irrespective of how verbose it is.