<i>

The HTML <i> element represents a range of text that is set off from the normal text for some reason. Some examples include technical terms, foreign language phrases, or fictional character thoughts. It is typically displayed in italic type.

The source for this interactive example is stored in a GitHub repository. If you'd like to contribute to the interactive examples project, please clone https://github.com/mdn/interactive-examples and send us a pull request.

Attributes

This element only includes the global attributes.

Usage notes

• Use the <i> element for text that is set off from the normal prose for readability reasons. This would be a range of text with different semantic meaning than the surrounding text.
• In earlier versions of the HTML specification, the <i> element was merely a presentational element used to display text in italics, much like the <b> element was used to display text in bold letters. This is no longer true, as these tags now define semantics rather than typographic appearance. A browser will typically still display the contents of the <i> element in italic type, but is, by definition, no longer required to.
• Typically this element is displayed in italic type. However, it should not be used simply to apply italic styling; use the CSS font-style property for that purpose.
• Be sure the text in question is not actually more appropriate for another element.
  • Use <em> to indicate stress emphasis.
  • Use <strong> to indicate stronger importance.
  • Use <mark> to indicate relevance.
  • Use <cite> to mark the name of a work, such as a book, play, or song.
  • Use <dfn> to mark the defining instance of a term.
• It is a good idea to use the class attribute to identify why the element is being used, so that if the presentation needs to change at a later date, it can be done selectively with style sheets.

Example

This example demonstrates using the <i> element to mark text that is in another language.

<p>The Latin phrase <i class="latin">Veni, vidi, vici</i> is often
mentioned in music, art, and literature.</p>

Result

The Latin phrase Veni, vidi, vici is often mentioned in music, art, and literature.

Specifications

Browser compatibility

See also

• <em>