val()

val() returns String
Get the content of the value attribute of the first matched element.
Use caution when relying on this function to check the value of multiple-select elements and checkboxes in a form. While it will still work as intended, it may not accurately represent the value the server will receive because these elements may send an array of values.

Example:

$("input").val();
HTML:
<input type="text" value="some text"/>
Result:
"some text"