The main difference between and and is in semantics. 1. is used only for bold styles, and does not indicate importance; means that the content is important. 2. is only used in italic style; means emphasis. 3. Screen readers have different ways of reading and . 4. Semantic tags improve accessibility and SEO. 5. Semantic tags should be used to explicitly express intentions.
The <b></b>
and <i></i>
tags in HTML are often used to make text bold or italic, which might lead some to think they're interchangeable with <strong></strong>
and <em></em>
. But there's a key difference: meaning . While the visual result might look similar in a browser, these tags carry different semantic meanings.

Here's how they actually differ and when you should use each:

<b></b>
vs <strong></strong>
– Styling vs Importance
- The
<b></b>
tag is just about visual styling – it makes text bold without implying anything about its importance or emphasis. - The
<strong></strong>
tag, on the other hand, adds semantic weight – telling browsers and screen readers that this part of the text is important.
For example:
- Use
<b></b>
if you're just highlighting a word for visual reasons (like in a chat UI where bold means something specific but not urgent). - Use
<strong></strong>
when you want to stress the importance of a message, like an error warning or a call to action.
Screen readers may announce content inside <strong></strong>
with more emphasis, while <b></b>
is usually read the same as normal text.

<i></i>
vs <em></em>
– Italic styling vs Emphasis
- The
<i></i>
tag simply makes text italic, again with no special meaning attached. - The
<em></em>
tag indicates emphasis , and it's meant to be used when you want to convey a change in tone or highlight something as important.
Examples where <i></i>
could be appropriate:
- Technical terms
- A character's thoughts in a story
- Ship names (like USS Enterprise )
Use <em></em>
when you want the reader (or assistive device) to pay attention:
- “Please make sure you arrive on time.”
- “This offer ends soon!”
Again, <em></em>
might be read differently by screen readers – maybe with a slight pause or change in tone.
When Does It Actually Matter?
Most of the time, people won't notice the difference visually. But here's where it matters:
-
Accessibility : Screen readers treat
<strong></strong>
and<em></em>
differently than<b></b>
and<i></i>
. - SEO : Search engines may give more weight to content marked up with semantic tags.
- Code clarity : Using the right tag helps others reading your HTML understand your intent.
If you're building a public-facing website or app, especially one that needs to meet accessibility standards, semantic tags are preferred.
So, while <b></b>
and <i></i>
still work fine for basic formatting, <strong></strong>
and <em></em>
are better choices when you care about meaning and accessibility. You can always style them with CSS to get the exact look you want
.
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