What attribute is used to specify the character encoding in an HTML document?

The attribute used to specify the character encoding in an HTML document is the charset attribute. This attribute is typically included within the meta tag in the head section of an HTML file. For example, to set the character encoding to UTF-8, you would write:

Using this attribute ensures that the browser interprets the document correctly, displaying characters as intended based on the specified encoding format. This is crucial for rendering text properly, especially for languages that include special characters.

The other attributes listed serve different purposes and are not related to character encoding. The src attribute is used for specifying the source of external resources, such as images or scripts. The href attribute defines the destination URL for links. The content attribute is commonly utilized within the meta tag to specify additional information, such as descriptions or keywords, but it does not set the encoding type itself.