U marks a non-textual annotation, often used for a misspelling or similar notation. It is not the general-purpose way to make text stand out.
What You Need to Know
Underlined words can look like links, so be careful not to confuse readers. For ordinary decoration, use CSS instead.
The difference between b and strong is meaning. Strong signals importance; b merely calls attention to text.
The goal is not to collect as many tags as possible. Pick the element that best describes what the content really is.
Example: See It in Action
Here is a simple example to experiment with. Type it, save the file, and check what the browser displays.
This is a short HTML fragment. To try it as a webpage, put it inside the body element of a complete HTML document.
<p>Check the <u>speling</u> before submitting.</p>
<p>The underlined word marks a spelling annotation.</p>
<p>Do not use underline merely to imitate a link.</p>Let’s Understand the Example
- U marks a non-textual annotation; it is not a general-purpose underlining control.
- A p groups a paragraph of related text. Start another paragraph for a new thought.
Look for the text “Check the” in the page. If the visible result surprises you, inspect the rendered elements to see what the browser actually built.
What Should You See?
The page should include “Check the”. If it looks different from what you expected, open developer tools and compare the source with the elements the browser created.
Try removing one piece of markup in a scratch copy, refresh the page, and compare the behavior. This is often the fastest way to understand what that piece contributes.
Try It Yourself
- Mark one deliberate misspelling and explain why the underline is not a link.
- Save your changes, open or refresh the page, and compare the result with the original example.
- Tell a friend what your change did. If you are not sure, undo it, refresh the page, and compare.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Underlining important words and making visitors expect clickable links.
- Avoid picking tags just for their default bold, italic or spaced appearance. Use CSS for presentation.
Key Takeaways
- U marks a non-textual annotation, often used for a misspelling or similar notation.
- U marks a non-textual annotation; it is not a general-purpose underlining control.
- The difference between b and strong is meaning. Strong signals importance; b merely calls attention to text.