12 Bold and Italics Usage
Use of boldface
Boldface is reserved for key terms within the text body. It should not be used for emphasizing a word or phrase.
Use of italics
- Italicize:
- Words used as words
- Letters used as letters
- Genera, species, and varieties
- Letters used as statistical symbols or algebraic variables
- Do not italicize:
- The punctuation mark after an italicized word or phrase
- Greek letters
- Letters used as abbreviations
Italics and foreign words
Often, foreign words are italicized in textbooks. However, if you’re not sure whether to use them or not, consider the following:
- If the word is not italicized in the dictionary, then italics shouldn’t be used.
- For “common” foreign words, do not use italics (e.g., ad hoc, vis-a-vis).
This chapter is adapted from the Ryerson Open Textbook Authoring Guide, Chapter: Style Guide and the BCcampus Self-Publishing Guide, Chapter: Appendix 2: Style Guide, both published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, with additions made by the author in consultation with the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
