JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div>
<a></a><a></a>
<span>Some text</span>
</div>

CSS

div {
    background:yellow;
    vertical-align:middle;
    margin:10px;
}

a {
    background-color:#FFF;
    width:20px;
    height:20px;
    display:inline-block;
    border:solid black 1px;
}

span {
    background:red;
}
a, span{
 vertical-align:top;
}