Which version of HTML is the latest one?

HTML5 is the latest version of the Hypertext Markup Language, which is the standard for structuring and presenting content on the web. It was officially released in October 2014 and brought significant improvements and features over previous versions, addressing modern web development needs.

Key enhancements in HTML5 include support for audio and video embedding without the need for external plugins, improved parsing rules for enhanced compatibility across different browsers, and the introduction of new semantic elements like <article>, <section>, and <nav>, which help developers create more meaningful web documents that can be easily understood by both users and search engines.

In contrast, HTML4 and XHTML are older standards that do not include the advancements found in HTML5. HTML4, released in 1997, laid the groundwork for web content but lacks the multimedia capabilities and the richer user interaction that HTML5 supports. XHTML, which is a reformulation of HTML as an XML application, was designed to enforce stricter syntax rules but does not enhance functionality in the same way HTML5 does. HTML3 is even older and was a transitional version that never gained wide adoption.

These distinctions highlight why HTML5 is the current standard and the most relevant version for modern web development.