Using the HTML `<em>` Element for Semantic Emphasis: Improving Readability and Accessibility

Learn how to use the HTML `<em>` element to add semantic emphasis to text, improving both readability and accessibility. This tutorial explains the difference between `<em>` and ``, demonstrates its usage, and shows how to customize its appearance using CSS.



Using the HTML `<em>` Element for Emphasis

Understanding the `<em>` Element

The HTML `<em>` (emphasis) element is used to mark up text that you want to emphasize. This adds semantic meaning to your HTML, making your content easier for users and machines to understand. It is important to use the correct tags to convey the intended meaning. The browser typically renders emphasized text using italics, but you can customize the styling using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). Screen readers often pronounce emphasized text with more stress, which improves accessibility for users who rely on them.

Using the `<em>` Element

To emphasize text, simply place it inside the opening and closing `<em>` tags.

Example: Basic Emphasis

<p>You <em>have</em> to hurry!</p>

Browser Support for `<em>`

The `<em>` element is supported by all major modern browsers.

Browser Support
Chrome Yes
Edge Yes
Firefox Yes
Opera Yes
Safari Yes

Default Styling and CSS Customization

Most browsers render the `<em>` element with italic styling by default. However, you can customize this with CSS.

Example: Custom CSS for `<em>`

em {
  font-style: italic;
  font-weight: bold;
  color: blue;
}