# Html tags: em vs. i, strong vs. b

**URL:** <https://group.classcentral.com/t/html-tags-em-vs-i-strong-vs-b/21814>\
**Category:** Web Development Bootcamp\
**Created:** [January 12, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://group.classcentral.com/t/html-tags-em-vs-i-strong-vs-b/21814 "2022-01-12T15:50:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![danielho2686016](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@danielho2686016](https://group.classcentral.com/u/danielho2686016)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://group.classcentral.com/t/html-tags-em-vs-i-strong-vs-b/21814/1 "2022-01-12T15:50:21Z")

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What is the difference between `<em>` and `<i>`?  
What is the difference between `<strong>` and `<b>` ?

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**Author:** ![JeffScript](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/group.classcentral.com/jeffscript/32/4045_2.png) [@JeffScript](https://group.classcentral.com/u/JeffScript)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 4:57pm UTC](https://group.classcentral.com/t/html-tags-em-vs-i-strong-vs-b/21814/2 "2022-01-12T16:57:06Z")

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As a visual result `<em>` and `<i>` (italizing a text) are the same and so is `<strong>` and `<b>` (making a text bold).  
The difference is on their **semantic** meaning.

```auto
<em> <!-- emphasizing the text they wrap -->
<i> <!-- just making the text italic -->
<strong> <!-- strongly emphasizing (strong importance) the text they wrap -->
<b> <!-- just making the text bold -->

```

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**Author:** ![jesslynnrose](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/group.classcentral.com/jesslynnrose/32/573_2.png) [@jesslynnrose](https://group.classcentral.com/u/jesslynnrose)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 5:35pm UTC](https://group.classcentral.com/t/html-tags-em-vs-i-strong-vs-b/21814/3 "2022-01-12T17:35:43Z")

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Jeff has answered this better than I could. These days folks tend to prefer _and **because they carry the value of the extra semantic meaning!** _

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**Author:** ![manoel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/group.classcentral.com/manoel/32/39_2.png) [@manoel](https://group.classcentral.com/u/manoel)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 9:35am UTC](https://group.classcentral.com/t/html-tags-em-vs-i-strong-vs-b/21814/4 "2022-01-13T09:35:56Z")

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Many folks ask this question, so MDN has sections specifically about this, if you want more references:

- b/strong: [https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/strong#b\_vs.\_strong](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/strong#b_vs._strong)
- i/em: [https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/em#i\_vs.\_em](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/em#i_vs._em)