[csswg-drafts] [css-text-decor][css-lists][css-counter-styles] `text-emphasis` is similar to (symbolic) counters (#13335)

Crissov has just created a new issue for https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts:

== [css-text-decor][css-lists][css-counter-styles] `text-emphasis` is similar to (symbolic) counters ==
`text-emphasis-style` is remindful of `list-style-type` at first impression, but upon further inspection their predefined values hardly overlap. Even where they should use the same character, their keywords and terms mismatch:

* `list-style-type: disc` ≈ `text-emphasis-style: filled dot`: •
* `list-style-type: circle` ≈ `text-emphasis-style: open dot`: ◦

Nevertheless, I think it might be worthwhile to consider unifying them. That means, 

1. current emphasis marks would need to be added to predefined symbolic counter styles and
2. the `text-emphasis-style` value would need to accept `<counter-style>`.

I can see educational and linguistic use cases where it makes sense to add ordinals to characters within a sequence/word.

Background
------
 
* [`<'text-emphasis-style'>`](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-text-decor-4/#text-emphasis-style-property) =
  -  `none | [`
     + `[ filled | open ]`
     + `||` 
     + `[ dot | circle | double-circle | triangle | sesame ]`
  - `] |` [`<string>`](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-values-4/#string-value)
* [`<'list-style-type'>`](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-lists/#text-markers) =
  -  [`<counter-style>`](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-counter-styles-3/#typedef-counter-style) ` |`
  -  [`<string>`](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-values-4/#string-value) ` |`
  - `none`
* `<counter-style>` = 
  - [`<counter-style-name>`](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-counter-styles-3/#typedef-counter-style-name) ` |`
  - [`<symbols()`>](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-counter-styles-3/#funcdef-symbols)
* [`<counter-style-name>`](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-counter-styles-3/#typedef-counter-style-name) =
  - `decimal |` [Simple Predefined Counter Styles: Numeric](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-counter-styles-3/#simple-numeric)
  - `disc | square | circle | disclosure-open | disclosure-closed |` [ Simple Predefined Counter Styles: Symbolic](https://drafts.csswg.org/css-counter-styles-3/#simple-symbolic)
  - `<custom-ident>`

| Shape | Symbolic Counter | Char | Emphasis Mark Value | Char |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| black/filled small circle | `disc` | • U+2022 | `filled dot` | • U+2022 |
| white/hollow small circle | `circle` | ◦ U+25E6 | `open dot` | ◦ U+25E6 |
| black/filled large circle |  |  | `filled circle` | ● U+25CF |
| white/hollow large circle |  |  | `open circle` | ○ U+25CB |
| black/filled double circle |  |  | `filled double-circle` | ◉ U+25C9 |
| white/hollow double circle |  |  | `open double-circle` | ◎ U+25CE |
| black/filled equilateral triangle pointing upwards |  |  | `filled triangle` | ▲ U+25B2 |
| white/hollow equilateral triangle pointing upwards |  |  | `open triangle` | △ U+25B3 |
| black/filled equilateral triangle pointing downwards | `disclosure-open` | ▾ U+25BE |  |  |
| white/hollow equilateral triangle pointing downwards |  | |  |  |
| black/filled equilateral triangle pointing sideways | `disclosure-closed`  | ▸ U+25B8 / ◂ U+25C2 |  |  |
| white/hollow equilateral triangle pointing sideways |  | |  |  |
| black/filled square | `square` | ▪ U+25AA |  |  |
| white/hollow square |  |  |  |  |
| black/filled sesame |  |  | `filled sesame`  | ﹅ U+FE45 |
| white/hollow sesame |  |  | `open sesame` | ﹆ U+FE46 |


Please view or discuss this issue at https://github.com/w3c/csswg-drafts/issues/13335 using your GitHub account


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Received on Monday, 12 January 2026 11:50:24 UTC