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CSS

Underline: What It Means and How to Use It

Underline can mean a line beneath text or emphasis. Learn how to apply it in Word and distinguish HTML’s annotation element from CSS styling.

By ThatPainter Team 2 min read
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Underline means to draw a line beneath text, often to mark it as important; it can also mean to emphasize something. In documents, it is a formatting choice. On the web, HTML’s <u> element has a narrower semantic purpose, while CSS is the right tool when you want only the visual effect.

What does “underline” mean?

As a verb, underline means to draw a line beneath words or characters, often to call attention to them. It can also mean to emphasize a point without literally adding a line. For example, a reader might underline significant parts of a text.

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Underline is not the same as underscore: an underline is a line beneath text, while an underscore is the character _. Microsoft’s style guidance makes this distinction; the page was last updated June 24, 2022.

How to underline text in Microsoft Word

Microsoft’s instructions apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016.

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  1. Select the text you want to format.
  2. Choose Home > Underline, or press Ctrl+U.

To choose a different underline style or color, open the Font dialog. For blank spaces in a printed document, Microsoft recommends formatting tabs with underline. For an online fill-in line, use a table cell with a bottom border so the line remains in place while someone types. See Microsoft’s Word instructions for underlining text or spaces.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Should you use HTML <u> or CSS?

Use the element that matches your intent. The HTML <u> element marks inline text with a non-textual annotation, such as a spelling error; it is not the general-purpose way to add an underline for appearance. For visual styling alone, use CSS text-decoration: underline. MDN explains the distinction in its reference for the <u> element.

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Be cautious when styling ordinary text with an underline: readers commonly associate underlined text on webpages with links. Reserve that appearance for text whose role is clear, and use an actual link when the text navigates somewhere.

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Choose based on purpose

  • Emphasize text in a Word document: select it and apply the Underline command.
  • Mark an annotation in web content: use <u> only when the text has a non-textual annotation.
  • Change appearance in a webpage: use CSS text-decoration: underline.
  • Refer to the character: call _ an underscore, not an underline.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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