How to Use Italics
Italics and underlining are considered identical in many style guidelines, and different publication styles have different preferences on which to use. Do not underline in MLA style.
Italics for long, published works
Use italics for names of long, published works such as magazines, journals, newspapers, and websites.
- Example: Scientific American (magazine)
- Example: Academic Search Complete (database)
- Example: Tampa Bay Times (newspaper)
- Example: Ask.com (website)
Italics for artwork and vessels
Use italics for names of artwork and names of ships and aircraft.
- Example: Mona Lisa
- Example: USS Enterprise
- Example: Enola Gay
Italics for special uses of words and letters
Use italics for words and letters used as words and letters.
- Example: She learned her ABCs.
- Example: My phone number has a lot of fours in it.
Use italics when referring to a word, especially when introducing or defining it as a term.
- Example: The word truthiness was coined by Stephen Colbert.
- Example: Macbeth’s tragic flaw, or hamartia, is his political ambition.
Use italics for a foreign word; use quotation marks for its translation.
- Example: The Russian word krasnaya can mean either “red” or “beautiful.”
- Example: Mano-a-mano is a Spanish term meaning “hand to hand.”
Since so many foreign words have been incorporated into English and are now considered English words, there is not always a clear distinction between an English word and a foreign word. A dictionary will often note if an entry is considered a foreign term by including descriptions like “a French phrase.”
Italics should not be used to convey emphasis in academic writing.
