<b>, <i> vs <strong>, <em>
Written byPhuoc Nguyen
Created
19 Jun, 2020
Last updated
20 Aug, 2020
Category
HTML
Contributors
The
`b` and `strong` tags by default make text bold. The `i` and `em` tags by default make text italicized.Each browser has its own default styles, but result in similar appearances. Here is how they are styled in the popular browsers:
css
strong,
b {
font-weight: bold;
}
i,
cite,
em,
var,
address,
dfn {
font-style: italic;
}css
b,
strong {
font-weight: bolder;
}
i,
cite,
em,
var,
dfn {
font-style: italic;
}css
strong,
b {
font-weight: bold;
}
i,
cite,
em,
var,
address,
dfn {
font-style: italic;
}Despite the fact that their appearances are similar, the
`strong` and `em` tags add extra semantic meaning to the enclosed text, whereas `b` and `i` are purely visual.According to the HTML 5 specifications, the
`strong` and `em` tags indicate importance and emphasis respectively.As far as accessibility goes, while a particular screen reading software may or may not pronounce it differently, using
`<strong>` or `<em>` at least opens the possibility, whereas a screen reader will never pronounce text within `<b>` or `<i>` differently.
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Phước Nguyễn