HTML Guides On-line

Introduction to HTML by Eric A. Meyer at Case Western Reserve University is an excellent HTML resource. It is particularly useful for beginners who want to understand how the web and HTML works. There is even a quiz at the end of each chapter to help you make sure you understood the point Eric was trying to make.

Writing HTML, a tutorial for creating Web pages, is one of the best on-line HTML tutorials. It is written by the Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction. The lessons are related but independent and have good examples. The tutorial includes both beginning and advanced topics and focuses on creating learning resources.

A beginner's Guide to HTML by Marc Andreessen

If you find these unhelpful you can find plenty of online guides for searching for 'beginner html guide' on http://google.com/