HTML contains several elements for defining text with a special meaning.
Example
<p><b>This text is bold</b></p>
<p><i>This text is italic</i></p>
<p>This is<sub> subscript</sub> and <sup>superscript</sup></p>
HTML Formatting Elements
Formatting elements were designed to display special types of text:
<b>- Bold text<strong>- Important text<i>- Italic text<em>- Emphasized text<mark>- Marked text<small>- Smaller text<del>- Deleted text<ins>- Inserted text<sub>- Subscript text<sup>- Superscript text
HTML and Elements
The HTML <b> element defines bold text, without any extra importance.
Example
<b>This text is bold</b>
The HTML <strong> element defines text with strong importance. The content inside is typically displayed in bold.
Example
<strong>This text is
important!</strong>
HTML and Elements
The HTML <i> element defines a part of text in an alternate voice or mood. The content inside is typically displayed in italic.
Tip: The <i> tag is often used to indicate a technical term, a phrase from another language, a thought, a ship name, etc.
Example
<i>This text is italic</i>
The HTML <em> element defines emphasized text. The content inside is typically displayed in italic.
Tip: A screen reader will pronounce the words in <em> with an emphasis, using verbal stress.
Example
<em>This text is
emphasized</em>
HTML Element
The HTML <small> element defines smaller text:
Example
<small>This is some smaller text.</small>
HTML Element
The HTML <mark> element defines text that should be marked or highlighted:
Example
<p>Do not forget to buy <mark>milk</mark> today.</p>
HTML Element
The HTML <del> element defines text that has been deleted from a document. Browsers will usually strike a line through deleted text:
Example
<p>My favorite color is <del>blue</del> red.</p>
HTML Element
The HTML <ins> element defines a text that has been inserted into a document. Browsers will usually underline inserted text:
Example
<p>My favorite color is <del>blue</del> <ins>red</ins>.</p>
HTML Element
The HTML <sub> element defines subscript text. Subscript text appears half a character below the normal line, and is sometimes rendered in a smaller font. Subscript text can be used for chemical formulas, like H2O:
Example
<p>This
is <sub>subscripted</sub> text.</p>
HTML Element
The HTML <sup> element defines superscript text. Superscript text appears half a character above the normal line, and is sometimes rendered in a smaller font. Superscript text can be used for footnotes, like WWW[1]:
Example
<p>This
is <sup>superscripted</sup> text.</p>
HTML Text Formatting Elements
| Tag | Description |
|---|---|
| Defines bold text | |
| Defines emphasized text | |
| Defines a part of text in an alternate voice or mood | |
| Defines smaller text | |
| Defines important text | |
| Defines subscripted text | |
| Defines superscripted text | |
| Defines inserted text | |
| Defines deleted text | |
| Defines marked/highlighted text |
Note: For a complete list of all available HTML tags, visit our HTML Tag Reference.
