HTML Formatting

HTML contains several elements for defining text with a special meaning.

Example

This text is bold

This text is italic

This is subscript and superscript

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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 <b> and <strong> Elements

The HTML <b> element defines bold text, without any extra importance.

Example

<b>This text is bold</b>
This text is bold

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The HTML <strong> element defines text with strong importance. The content inside is typically displayed in bold.

Example

<strong>This text is important!</strong>
This text is important!

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HTML <i> and <em> 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>
This text is italic

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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>
This text is emphasized

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HTML <small> Element

The HTML <small> element defines smaller text:

Example

<small>This is some smaller text.</small>
This is some smaller text.

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HTML <mark> 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>

Do not forget to buy milk today.

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HTML <del> 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>

My favorite color is blue red.

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HTML <ins> 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>

My favorite color is blue red.

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HTML <sub> 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>

This is subscripted text.

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HTML <sup> 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 <sub>subscripted</sub> text.</p>

This is subscripted text.

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HTML Text Formatting Elements

TagDescription
<b>Defines bold text
<em>Defines emphasized text 
<i>Defines a part of text in an alternate voice or mood
<small>Defines smaller text
<strong>Defines important text
<sub>Defines subscripted text
<sup>Defines superscripted text
<ins>Defines inserted text
<del>Defines deleted text
<mark>Defines marked/highlighted text

For a complete list of all available HTML tags, visit our HTML Tag Reference.

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