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Italics 101
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Italics are a style of typeface in which letters slant to the right. This sentence is printed in italics. When to use italics can be confusing at times. We use italics for some titles, and not for others. We put some foreign words in italics and some in regular type. At first glance, there appears to be no consistency. But there is a method to the madness! Here are some guidelines to help straighten out the confusion.
Use italics:
- for emphasis
- You wore that to the football game!
- for contrast
- She managed to get not one, but three A+'s.
- with foreign words and phrases that are unfamiliar to most native speakers of English
- We ordered the rognons de veau.
- It's hard for me to enjoy a dolce far niente day: I constantly need to be doing something.
- for letters, words and numerals referred to as such
- Please italicize the letter K in the word Kwanzaa.
- What is the origin of the word Easter?
- The way she writes her 7s confuses me.
- for certain Latin reference terms
- idem
- infra
- sic
- supra
- vide
Note: There is a growing tendency to print Latin reference terms and phrases in roman type, especially when they are abbreviated. Check the Canadian Oxford Dictionary when you are unsure.
- for the titles of publications
- books The English Patient
- journals Canadian Journal of Communication
- long poems Brébeuf and His Brethren
- magazines Canadian Living
- newspapers The Globe and Mail
- pamphlets I Declare: A guide for residents of Canada returning to Canada
- periodicals Maclean's
- plays Billy Bishop Goes to War
- reports Canada-Mexico Partnership-Report to Leaders
- studies Study of the Canadian K to 12 Educational Book Publishing Sector
- for the titles of films
- movies The Red Violin
- for the titles of musical compositions
- CDs It's Time
- operas Louis Riel
- symphonies The Bells Symphony
- for the titles of works of art
- paintings Swallows
- sculptures The Pasture
- for the names of aircraft, ships and trains
- aircraft Spirit of Saint Louis
- ships HMCS Iroquois, Bluenose
- spacecraft Voyageur 1
- trains Skeena
- for the complete names of acts, statutes and court cases in legal texts
- acts Access to Information Act
- statutes the Criminal Code
- court cases Egan v. Canada
Do not use italics:
- for foreign words or phrases that are familiar to most native speakers of English
- al fresco
- a priori
- rendezvous
- tiramisu
Note: If you are unsure whether the foreign word has been assimilated into the English language, check the Canadian Oxford Dictionary.
- for the following Latin abbreviations
- AD
- ca., c.
- cf.
- e.g.
- et. al.
- etc.
- et seq.
- ibid
- i.e.
- loc. cit.
- NB
- op. cit.
- PS
- QED
- v., v.
- viz.
- for the titles of minor works (use quotation marks instead)
- a short story, an essay or a chapter out of a book:
"Walk Well, My Brother," by Farley Mowat, from his collection of short stories titled The Snow Walker - an article out of a journal, magazine, or newspaper:
"Mapping the Geography of Online News" from Canadian Journal of Communication - a song from a CD:
"I'm Like a Bird" from Nelly Furtado's CD Whoa, Nelly!
- a short story, an essay or a chapter out of a book:
- for the titles of radio and television programs (use quotation marks instead)
- radio programs "Quirks & Quarks"
- television programs "Corner Gas"
- for the short forms of the names of acts
- As stated in the Act, mandatory retirement is permitted.
- for proposed laws (i.e. bills)
- Bill C-343, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (motor vehicle theft)
- for the names of Web sites
- The Language Portal of Canada
- for the names of sacred or holy books
- the Bible
- the Koran
- the Torah
