Flash cards
Review the key moves
What is the main idea behind HTML Text Formatting?
Lesson checks
Practice each idea before moving on
Short Mimo-style checks built from this lesson's code, terms, and sequence.
Which statement best captures the main point of this lesson?
Complete the missing token from the example code.
<b>___ text is bold</b>Put the learning moves in the order that makes the concept easiest to apply.
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
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>Live preview
The HTML <strong> element defines text with strong importance. The content inside is typically displayed in bold.
Example
<strong>This text is
important!</strong>Live preview
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>Live preview
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>Live preview
HTML <small> Element
The HTML <small> element defines smaller text:
Example
<small>This is some smaller text.</small>Live preview
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>Live preview
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>Live preview
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>Live preview
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 H 2 O:
Example
<p>This
is <sub>subscripted</sub> text.</p>Live preview
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 <sup>superscripted</sup> text.</p>Live preview
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 our HTML Tag Reference .