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>– Small 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>
The HTML <strong> element defines strong text, with added semantic “strong” importance.
Example
<strong>This text is strong</strong>
HTML <i> and <em> Elements
The HTML <i> element defines italic text, without any extra importance.
Example
<i>This text is italic</i>
The HTML <em> element defines emphasized text, with added semantic importance.
Example
<em>This text is emphasized</em>
Note: Browsers display <strong> as <b>, and <em> as <i>. However, there is a difference in the meaning of these tags: <b> and <i> defines bold and italic text, but <strong> and <em> means that the text is “important”.
HTML <small> Element
The HTML <small> element defines smaller text:
Example
<h2>HTML <small>Small</small> Formatting</h2>
HTML <mark> Element
The HTML <mark> element defines marked/highlighted text:
Example
<h2>HTML <mark>Marked</mark> Formatting</h2>
HTML <del> Element
The HTML <del> element defines deleted/removed text.
Example
<p>My favorite color is <del>blue</del> red.</p>
HTML <ins> Element
The HTML <ins> element defines inserted/added text.
Example
<p>My favorite <ins>color</ins> is red.</p>
HTML <sub> Element
The HTML <sub> element defines subscripted text.
Example
<p>This is <sub>subscripted</sub> text.</p>
HTML <sup> Element
The HTML <sup> element defines superscripted text.
Example
<p>This is <sup>superscripted</sup> text.</p>