Web pages on the World Wide Web are typically written using which standard markup language?

Introduction / Context:
When you open a website in a browser, what you actually see is the result of interpreting a markup language that describes the structure and content of the page. The foundational language used for this purpose on the World Wide Web is HTML. Understanding this is one of the first steps in learning web development and is a very common basic interview question.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The context is standard web pages viewed in browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
• We are not talking about compression formats, hardware devices, or advanced generation classifications.
• We want the name of the markup language that defines headings, paragraphs, links, images, and other elements on a web page.

Concept / Approach:
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It uses tags enclosed in angle brackets to describe elements such as headings, paragraphs, lists, forms, and tables. Browsers parse HTML documents and render them visually for users. While Cascading Style Sheets and JavaScript add styling and interactivity, HTML remains the core language that defines the basic structure of a web page.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that every basic web tutorial starts by showing an HTML document with tags such as html, head, title, and body. Step 2: Understand that this markup language is responsible for organising the page content into elements like headings and paragraphs. Step 3: Look at the options and find the one that explicitly mentions HTML and calls it the HyperText Markup Language. Step 4: Eliminate options that refer to compression formats, hardware, or vague fifth generation language terms. Step 5: Choose the option that clearly states that web pages are written using HTML.

Verification / Alternative check:
Open the developer tools in any modern browser and inspect a web page. You will see an HTML structure, often starting with a doctype declaration and html tag. This real world observation aligns perfectly with the textbook statement that web pages are written using HTML, which confirms the correctness of the chosen option.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: WinZip is a compression utility and file format, not a markup language for web pages. Option C: The phrase fifth generation language is vague and does not refer to the standard markup language for web content. Option D: Peripherals such as printers and scanners are hardware devices, not languages for writing web pages.

Common Pitfalls:
Some beginners may think that web pages are written primarily in JavaScript or a back end language like PHP, but those technologies generate or enhance HTML rather than replace it. Another pitfall is to overlook the word markup and treat HTML as a programming language, whereas it is a markup language designed for representation, not for general purpose computation.

Final Answer:
Web pages are typically written using HTML, the HyperText Markup Language used for web pages.