HTML <em> element

The <em> element represents stress emphasis. It marks the part of a sentence that should be stressed when the sentence is read or understood.

Browsers normally display <em> in italic. CSS can change its font style, colour, or other visual properties while preserving its meaning as stress emphasis. The element tells the reader where the pressure in the sentence falls.

The position of <em> can change what a sentence implies. In "I said the red button," the stress identifies who said it, perhaps correcting the suggestion that someone else did. In "I said the red button," the stress distinguishes the colour, perhaps correcting a choice of blue. The words remain the same; the placement of emphasis changes how they are understood.

The <em> element is also different from <strong>. Emphasis marks the stress of an expression, while <strong> identifies importance, seriousness, or urgency. A word may need emphasis to convey the intended meaning without being especially important in its own right.

It is also different from <i>. The <i> element can mark text offset from normal prose, such as a technical term, foreign phrase, thought, or taxonomic name. The <em> element is specifically about stress emphasis.

Attributes: GLOBALS.

Typical layout:
<p>
  <em>I</em> said the red button.
</p>
<p>
  I said the <em>red</em> button.
</p>

Visual representation: