i

Summary

The HTML Offset Text (or Italics) Element (<i>) represents a range of text that is set off from the normal text for some reason, for example, technical terms, foreign language phrases, or fictional character thoughts. It is typically displayed in italic type.

Usage context

Permitted content	Phrasing content.
Tag omission	None, must have both a start tag and an end tag.
Permitted parent elements	Any element that accepts phrasing content.
Normative document	HTML 5, section 4.6.15;  HTML 4.01, section 15.2.1

Attributes

Like all HTML elements, this element supports the global attributes.

Example

<p>This is the first sentence. <i>This whole sentence is in an italicized font.</i></p>

Result

This is the first sentence. This whole sentence is in an italicized font.

Notes

Use this element only when there is not a more appropriate semantic element. For example:

• Use <em> to indicate stress emphasis.
• Use <strong> to indicate 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.

DOM Interface

This element implements the HTMLElement interface.

Browser compatibility