The B Element
Use <b> when you want to draw attention to text without implying that it has greater importance, such as a keyword or product name in a passage.
<p>The term <b>HTML</b> stands for HyperText Markup Language.</p>Remember: Use <strong> for importance and <b> for attention without added importance. Do not choose an element based only on its default appearance.
5. Italics: Emphasis vs Alternative Voice
The <em> and <i> elements are often displayed in italics, but their meanings differ.
The Em Element
Use <em> when you want to emphasize a word or phrase. The emphasis can change how a sentence is understood.
<p>You should <em>always</em> back up important files.</p>Emphasis can be nested to represent stronger stress emphasis, although it should be used naturally rather than simply to obtain more italic styling.
The I Element
Use <i> for text in an alternate voice or mood, or for terms conventionally distinguished from the surrounding prose, such as a technical term or a word from another language.
<p>The Latin phrase <i lang="la">carpe diem</i> means to seize the day.</p>
<p>The term <i>cache</i> is common in web development.</p>The lang="la" attribute identifies the language of the Latin phrase.
Quick Comparison
<em>— stress emphasis.<i>— alternate voice, mood, or conventionally distinguished text.<strong>— strong importance or urgency.<b>— attention without implying extra importance.
6. Highlighted, Smaller and Superscript or Subscript Text
The Mark Element
Use <mark> for text highlighted because it is relevant in the current context, such as a matching search result.
<p>Search result: Learn <mark>HTML attributes</mark> in this lesson.</p>Browsers usually render marked text with a highlighted background. CSS can change its appearance.