References

Beginner-friendly references for web development, with live, editable examples.

The HTML <em> tag

Element All modern browsers Updated
Quick answer

The HTML <em> element marks text with stress emphasis: the kind that changes a sentence's meaning when spoken. It renders italic by default, but choose it for meaning, not looks: use <i> for italics that carry no emphasis.

Overview

The <em> element marks stress emphasis: the word you would lean on when reading a sentence aloud. "I love this" and "I love this" carry different meanings, and <em> is how you capture that shift in HTML. Screen readers may change their intonation to reflect it.

Browsers render it in italics by default, but its purpose is semantic, not stylistic. That is the line separating it from <i>, which is for italic text that is not emphasized: foreign phrases, technical terms on first use, a ship's name, a character's inner thought. If the italics change how the sentence is read, it is <em>; if not, it is <i>.

For text that is important rather than emphasized (a warning, a key term you must not miss), reach for <strong> instead. And if you only want italic styling with no meaning, the CSS font-style: italic declaration is the cleaner tool. Nesting <em> inside another <em> increases the emphasis level.

Syntax

<p>You <em>must</em> save before closing.</p>

Example

Live example 
<p>This is <em>really</em> important to understand.</p>

Best practices

  • Use <em> only when the emphasis changes the meaning of the sentence, not for general italics.
  • For italic text that carries no stress (foreign words, terms, titles of thought), use <i> instead.
  • For importance or urgency rather than emphasis, use <strong>.
  • For purely decorative italics, set font-style: italic in CSS rather than using <em>.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between em and i?
<em> marks stress emphasis that changes how a sentence is read; <i> is for italic text with no emphasis, such as a foreign phrase or technical term.
What is the difference between em and strong?
<em> is emphasis (the word you stress); <strong> is importance, seriousness or urgency. They can be combined when text is both emphasized and important.
Does em do anything for screen readers?
It can. Some screen readers adjust intonation for emphasized text, which is why <em> is preferable to plain italics when the stress matters.
How do I make italic text without emphasis?
Use <i> for italics with semantic meaning, or the CSS font-style: italic for purely decorative italics.
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