Let us be real. If you have been in college for more than a semester, you have likely had the same existential crisis as everyone else: sitting at 2 a.m., or whatever time of the night with a half-empty coffee cup, squinting at your computer, asking yourself, “Do I italicize this or not?” Maybe you have even whispered it aloud to no one in particular—your tired roommate, your cat, or the haunting silence of your room. You are not alone; we have all been there at some point in our lives.
When writing a research paper, creating a killer essay, or putting together an already overdue literature review, navigating academic writing can sometimes feel like solving a riddle wrapped in an enigma. The rules can seem tedious and arbitrary, and who decided punctuation was a thing, anyway? Well, here is the deal: following those writing rules (yes, including italicization) is a lot more important than you might think. These small formatting elements add clarity to your writing and signal to your professor that you have a solid grasp of academic conventions. In addition, they help you avoid awkward corrections and snarky red marks in the margins of your paper.
In this article, we are diving deep into one of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of academic writing—italicization. What needs italics? What doesn’t? And when is it just showing off? Grab that coffee, crack those knuckles, and let us put an end to the confusion.
The italic font or italics as it is widely known, is a style of typeface where text appears slanted. Here is an example, “This is italicized.” Although mostly used to draw attention to passages, sentences, phrases, or words, italics has other use cases in academic and professional writing. A good example is in differentiating names of things such as movies, books, novels, articles, and titles from the rest of the regular text.
First things first: why should you even care about italics? It is not as if your essay or term paper is a fashion runway, right? Italics might seem like a minor stylistic choice, but in the world of academic writing, they are visual cues that help readers quickly understand the type of information you are presenting.
Consider italics as the emphasis tool of the written word. Much like when we change the tone of our voice to emphasize a particular idea in a conversation. We use italics to signal importance or to identify something special in a text. Italicizing certain words or phrases, helps avoid misunderstanding. In academic writing, where precision is king, avoiding misunderstandings is a big win.
However, italics are not just about making your essay or paper look fancy. They help you adhere to academic style guides—whether it is APA, MLA, CBE, Harvard or Chicago Manual of Style. More importantly, they prevent your professor from groaning in frustration as they grade your paper.
Are you not following these rules? Do you avoid using italicized print in your writing? Well, let us just say that is one way to see your grade not italicized into an ‘A.’
Let us break it down with concrete examples of areas to use italics.
When you are writing about books, movies, plays, or other full-length works, you will need to italicize their titles. This is one of the most common and widely accepted uses of italics, and it is probably one of the easiest rules to remember. If you are talking about anything that someone can purchase as a standalone product, it most likely requires italics.
Examples:
Just remember, only the titles of full-length works are italicized—so keep those quotation marks in mind for shorter works (we will get to that in a bit).
When writing academic papers, you should italicize podcasts and radio shows, as they are considered full-length works. Do the same for television series or music albums. Italicizing their titles helps distinguish these larger productions from individual episodes, which are placed in quotation marks.
Examples:
By italicizing podcasts and radio shows, you ensure clarity in your writing and follow standard academic conventions for media titles.
Are you using a foreign language word in your essay to sound smart? Well, if you are introducing a word or phrase that has not been fully adopted into the English language, it deserves some italic love. Italicizing foreign terms signals to your reader that this word is special and outside the scope of common English usage.
However, what is considered “foreign,” you may ask? That is where it gets tricky. Some foreign words are so widely used that they no longer need italics (think “déjà vu,” “quid pro quo,” or “status quo”). However, if you are dropping in a lesser-known term from another language, you must use italics.
Examples:
If you are unsure whether a foreign word needs italics, a quick search in a dictionary should tell you if it is fully integrated into English or not.
When you are writing about scientific or technical topics, it is important to give the reader a heads-up when you are using a term they might not be familiar with. Italicizing the term upon its first appearance signals to the reader, “Hey, this word’s important. Pay attention.” So, when you are introducing a word in a scientific paper or essay, remember to write the word in italics upon the first use.
After the first mention, you do not need to keep italicizing the term. It is like shaking hands when you first meet someone—you do not need to do it every time you see them afterward (unless you are feeling formal).
Examples:
Keep in mind that this applies mostly to technical jargon that is new to the reader. If you are talking about common scientific terms (like “photosynthesis” or “gravity”), italics are not necessary.
Sounds like a riddle, right. Well, here is a fun one. When you are talking about a word as a word—you know, when the word itself is the subject of discussion—italicize it. This rule applies when you are getting meta with your writing and dissecting language itself.
If you are discussing a word or letter itself, you can put it in italics. Doing so tells your readers that you are talking about the term and not using it as intended.
Examples:
This use of italics helps to indicate that you are focusing on the word itself, not just using it in a sentence.
Who doesn’t love attention?
Sometimes you just need to stress something. Italics can help you emphasize a word or phrase in your essay without resorting to ALL CAPS or bold text (which is generally frowned upon in academic writing). However, use italics for emphasis sparingly—overuse can make your writing feel cluttered and undermine the emphasis itself.
Examples:
When used effectively, italics can add subtle emphasis that makes your writing more engaging. Just do not go overboard and italicize every other sentence—you are writing a paper, not the next great novel.
This one’s for the history majors, military enthusiasts, or anyone who finds themselves writing about transportation. When you mention specific names of ships, aircraft, or spacecraft, they need to be italicized. Why? Well, these big, important machines deserve a little stylistic flair!
Examples:
Interestingly, while the names of specific vehicles are italicized, generic terms like "car" or "battleship" are not. So, keep it special.
Sometimes, we use words in unusual contexts or with a meaning that differs from their typical use. If you are presenting a word in an unexpected way or highlighting a shift in its usage, you will want to italicize it.
Examples:
By italicizing, you are alerting the reader that there is more to the word than meets the eye.
When writing about sounds reproduced as words, you are essentially capturing onomatopoeia—words that mimic natural sounds. In academic writing, onomatopoeic words are often italicized to set them apart from the rest of the text. This rule helps the reader recognize that the word is a representation of a sound, not just a typical word used in its usual context.
Examples:
In these cases, italicizing the words signals that these are sounds being reproduced in writing, not actions or concepts. However, it is essential not to overdo this in academic writing unless you are specifically discussing literature or subjects that involve sound, like linguistics or phonetics.
In academic writing, legal cases are typically italicized to set them apart from other elements in the text, especially when referring to the full case names. This practice is common in legal studies, law papers, and other academic fields where legal precedents are discussed.
Examples:
However, when referring to legal principles or concepts derived from cases, you do not need to italicize. Only the full title of the case itself gets the italic treatment. It is also important to follow proper citation rules from the style guide you are using, like APA, AGLC, Bluebook, Oxford, MLA, or Chicago, to ensure consistency in your legal writing.
In creative writing, unspoken thoughts are often italicized to differentiate them from spoken dialogue and narrative description. This use of italics helps readers quickly recognize that these words represent the internal thoughts of a character, not something said aloud.
Examples:
Italics for internal dialogue can be especially helpful in first-person or close third-person perspectives, where the reader frequently dives into a character’s inner monologue. Italicizing these thoughts makes the writing smoother and clearer, avoiding the need to repeatedly state “she thought” or “he wondered” after every reflection. Just be careful not to overuse italics, as too much can be distracting for the reader.
In academic writing, music albums, operas, and long musical compositions are italicized, just like other full-length works. This rule helps distinguish these larger, more significant pieces from shorter works like individual songs or arias, which are placed in quotation marks.
Examples:
By italicizing the names of albums, operas, and lengthy musical compositions, you signal to your reader that these are full works, setting them apart from shorter pieces. This practice aligns with style guidelines like APA, MLA, and Chicago, ensuring consistency in academic writing.
When you are writing an essay or paper, ensure that you italicize news websites, magazines, and newspapers, as they are full-length publications. This rule applies to the names of the publication. However, you should place the titles of individual articles in quotation marks.
Examples:
Italicizing these titles, helps distinguish the larger publication from individual content, aligning with standard academic writing conventions.
In academic writing, apps and video games are italicized just like other major works. These digital marvels have earned their spot alongside classic novels and symphonies, so it is only right they get the italic treatment too. Whether you are battling mythical creatures or swiping for productivity, these titles deserve their moment of typographic glory.
Examples:
By giving these apps and games a little italicized love, you recognize them as significant digital works—because, let’s face it, mastering Candy Crush is an accomplishment, right?
Now that we have covered what should be italicized, it is important to address what cannot be italicized. There is a fine line between proper use of italics and overdoing it. Here are a few things that definitely do not need to be italicized:
Related Articles
Italics are your academic writing ally.
Italicization is your friend in academic writing, helping you clarify and highlight essential information. Knowing when and how to use italics can make your papers look polished, professional, and well-researched, which can only help your GPA. Whether you are writing about the finer points of The Iliad or trying to explain the importance of mitochondria in biology, mastering this simple formatting rule is one way to boost your writing credibility.
So, next time you are staring at your screen in the middle of the night, debating whether to italicize, just remember this guide. It might not make your coffee taste any better, but it will definitely make your essay stand out for all the right reasons.
Are you still in doubt? Well, that is why our paper writing service exists. We have talented writers who have their juice. Hire an essay helper to help you write a paper that adheres to all the academic conventions.
Happy writing, italics champion.
Gradecrest is a professional writing service that provides original model papers. We offer personalized services along with research materials for assistance purposes only. All the materials from our website should be used with proper references. See our Terms of Use Page for proper details.
