Italic text is slanted lettering used for emphasis, titles and quotes. Some apps, such as WhatsApp, Discord and Slack, have built-in italics. Others, including Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn posts, have no italic button at all, so people paste Unicode italic letters like 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 instead. This guide shows the fastest method for every major app, plus italic letters you can copy. For bold italic in one click, use our free Bold Text Generator, which includes a Bold Italic style.
Italic Text to Copy and Paste
| Style | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Serif italic | 𝐼𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑡𝑒𝑥𝑡 | Classic book-style italics |
| Serif bold italic | 𝑰𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒕𝒆𝒙𝒕 | Stronger emphasis |
| Sans-serif italic | 𝘐𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘦𝘹𝘵 | Clean, modern look |
| Sans-serif bold italic | 𝙄𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙩𝙚𝙭𝙩 | Headlines and hooks |
These letters come from the Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols block. One oddity: the serif italic small h is missing from that block, because the same shape was already encoded as ℎ, the Planck constant symbol, so generators borrow it. Italic sets also have no digits; numbers stay upright.
How to Write Italics on Each App
| App | Built-in italics? | How to do it |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Wrap text in underscores: _like this_ | |
| Discord | Yes | Wrap text in one asterisk or underscore: *like this* |
| Slack | Yes | Wrap text in underscores, or press Ctrl+I (Cmd+I on Mac) |
| Telegram | Yes | Select the text and choose Italic from the formatting menu |
| X (Twitter) | Premium only | X Premium adds B and I buttons to the post composer; free accounts paste Unicode italics |
| No | Paste Unicode italic text into captions, bio or comments | |
| Facebook posts | No | Paste Unicode italic text |
| LinkedIn posts | No | Paste Unicode italic text; LinkedIn articles have their own italic button |
| TikTok | No | Paste Unicode italic text into captions and bio |
X’s Premium-only formatting buttons are described in this guide to X fonts. For the full Discord syntax, including bold, underline and spoilers, see our Discord text formatting cheat sheet.
How to Italicize Text on Instagram
- Type your text in a generator and copy an italic style.
- Open Instagram and paste it into your caption, comment, bio or name field.
- Check the preview before posting. If a letter shows as a box, switch to the sans-serif italic style.
Our Instagram Font Generator has a Bold and Italic tab with styles tested for Instagram.
How to Italicize Text on Facebook and LinkedIn
Both platforms strip formatting from normal posts, so Unicode is the only way. Use italics for one phrase, such as a book title or a quote, rather than a whole paragraph. Long italic passages are harder to read and may be read out letter by letter by screen readers.
Italic vs. Bold: When to Use Each
- Italic signals a quiet emphasis, a title, a foreign word or a quotation.
- Bold grabs attention for hooks, key numbers and calls to action.
- Bold italic is for a single standout word. Use it rarely.
For bold styles and when to use them across apps, see how to get bold text on Facebook, Instagram and 6 more apps.
Things to Know Before You Use Unicode Italics
- Search: Unicode italic words are different characters, so they will not match searches or hashtags for the normal word. Keep hashtags and keywords in plain text.
- Character limits: on X, each italic letter can count as two characters toward the limit.
- Accessibility: screen readers may read italic Unicode letter by letter, as WebAIM explains.
- Accents: there are no accented italic letters, so é or ñ stay upright. See why accented letters break in fancy text.
Make Italic and Bold Italic Text
Type your text into the Bold Text Generator and copy the Bold Italic style, or use the Bold and Italic tab in the Discord Font Generator for lighter italic styles. Both work anywhere you can paste text.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I type italics on Instagram?
Instagram has no italic button. Copy Unicode italic text from a generator and paste it into your caption, comment, bio or name.
Can you italicize on Facebook?
Not with built-in formatting in normal posts. Paste Unicode italic letters instead, and keep hashtags in plain text so they still work.
How do you italicize on X (Twitter)?
X Premium subscribers get B and I buttons in the post composer. Free accounts can paste Unicode italic text.
How do I write italics in WhatsApp?
Put an underscore before and after the text, like _this_, and WhatsApp shows it in italics.
Why does the italic h look different?
The serif italic small h was already in Unicode as the Planck constant symbol ℎ, so it is not in the italic block and may look slightly different on some devices.
Do italic Unicode letters affect SEO?
On social media they can hide words from search, because they are not normal letters. Use them for emphasis only, never for keywords or hashtags.