Différence in html

Question

What is the difference between the em tag and the i tag

Answer 1

From a viewer's perspective, there isn't one.
Technically, the em is recognised by search engines, same as strong (but with a different meaning and significance).
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/css/difference-between-i-and-em-tag-of-html/

Answer 2

Hachi Parmentier , while yes, <em> and <i> render SIMILAR outputs, but they are not exactly the same.
<em> is a semantic tag that tells search engines and screen readers that the text inside the <em> tags carry more stress and emphasis compared to the other words and phrases in the output. (It is similar to the way I typed 'SIMILAR' earlier here in uppercase to emphasize it.)
Screen readers may pronounce emphasised texts differently as well.
Additionally, you can nest an <em> tag inside another <em> tag for greater effect.

On the other hand, <i> tag is only for styling texts. They do not add any special meaning(s) and are generally used for foreign phrases, technical jargon etc.

Eg: Fyodor Dostoevsky's <i>magnum opus</i> is <i>The Brothers Karamazov</i>, which is <em>deeply philosophical</em>.

For more information:
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/css/difference-between-i-and-em-tag-of-html/

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/21334380/what-is-the-benefit-of-em-vs-i

Answer 3

Both <em> and <i> make text italic, but they have different meanings:
<em> (emphasis) → adds semantic meaning: it tells browsers, screen readers, and search engines that the text should be emphasized (important for accessibility and SEO). Example: “I did say that!”.
<i> (italic) → is purely stylistic: it just slants the text without adding emphasis. It’s often used for names, foreign words, or technical terms.

In short: use <em> when meaning matters, use <i> when it’s just style.