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2.4 HTML Formatting

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

Example 1: HTML formatting

This text is bold

This text is italic

This is subscript and superscript

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 2: HTML bold text

<b>This text is bold</b>

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

Example 3: HTML strong text

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

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 4: HTML italic text

<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 5: HTML emphasized text

<em>This text is emphasized</em>

HTML <small> Element

The HTML <small> element defines smaller text:

Example 6: HTML small text

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

HTML <mark> Element

The HTML <mark> element defines text that should be marked or highlighted:

Example 7: HTML marked text

<p>Do not forget to buy <mark>milk</mark> today.</p>

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 8: HTML deleted text

<p>My favorite color is <del>blue</del> red.</p>

HTML <ins> Element

The HTML <ins> element defines a text that has been inserted into a document. Browsers will usually underline inserted text:

Example 9: HTML inserted text

<p>My favorite color is <del>blue</del> <ins>red</ins>.</p>

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 10: HTML subscripted text

<p>This is <sub>subscripted</sub> text.</p>

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 11: HTML superscripted text

<p>This is <sup>superscripted</sup> text.</p>

HTML Text Formatting Elements

Tag	Description
<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 the HTML Tag Reference library.