<html>
<body>
<ruby>
<rb>漢</rb> <rp>(</rp><rt>Kan</rt><rp>)</rp>
<rb>字</rb> <rp>(</rp><rt>ji</rt><rp>)</rp>
</ruby>
<ruby>
<rb>02</rb> <rt>Month</rt>
<rb>08</rb> <rt>Day</rt>
<rb>1973</rb> <rt>Year</rt>
</ruby>
<ruby>
<rbc>
<rb>10</rb>
<rb>31</rb>
<rb>2002</rb>
</rbc>
<rtc>
<rt>Month</rt>
<rt>Day</rt>
<rt>Year</rt>
</rtc>
<rtc>
<rt rbspan="3">Date</rt>
</rtc>
</ruby>
</body>
</html>
The rb element contains the ruby base text to which a ruby text annotation (rt) is applied.
Ruby characters are small symbols placed next to text (typically Chinese, Japanese and Korean) to clarify pronunciation. The text to be annotated is the ruby base and the annotation is the ruby text.
A live example:
N of