Emphasis marks a span of text as stressed or distinctive. It renders as italic in most output formats. It is written by wrapping the text with a single * or _ on each side.
*This text is emphasised.*
_This text is also emphasised._
This text is emphasised.
This text is also emphasised.
Best Practice
- Use
*rather than_as the standard form — it is unambiguous in all contexts, whereas_can be suppressed mid-word by some parsers. - Do not use emphasis for decoration; use it when the stress changes the meaning of the sentence.
- Avoid wrapping long stretches of text in emphasis — it loses impact when overused.
Notes
* vs _ Delimiters
Both forms produce identical output, but their boundary rules differ. The _ delimiter does not open or close in the middle of a word — foo_bar_baz is not emphasised. The * delimiter can open and close mid-word: foo*bar*baz emphasises bar. This distinction matters when writing content that contains underscores, such as filenames or identifiers.
Nesting with Strong
Emphasis can be combined with strong (bold). When nesting, use matching delimiters to avoid parser ambiguity:
*This is emphasised and **this part is also strong** within it.*
Markdown Flavour Support
Supported by all major flavours.
Flavour Support Detail
| Flavour | Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Original Markdown | Yes | Both * and _ defined in the original spec. |
| CommonMark | Yes | Precisely specifies left-flanking and right-flanking delimiter run rules. |
| GitHub Flavored Markdown | Yes | Inherits CommonMark rules; _ mid-word is suppressed. |
| Pandoc Markdown | Yes | Full support; _ mid-word suppressed consistent with CommonMark. |
Practical Examples
- Stressing a key word in a recipe note: Emphasis conveys the kind of stress a speaker would put on a word — exactly what is needed to steer a reader away from a common mistake.
You *must* let the dough rest for at least an hour before shaping it.
You must let the dough rest for at least an hour before shaping it.
- Introducing a term in a book review: Italics are the conventional way to introduce a foreign phrase or a book title inline within running prose.
The novel takes its title from the French phrase *joie de vivre* — a joy for living.
The novel takes its title from the French phrase joie de vivre — a joy for living.
- Highlighting a detail in travel notes: Emphasis draws the eye to a single word that shifts the tone of a sentence.
The climb was hard, but the view from the top was *worth every step*.
The climb was hard, but the view from the top was worth every step.