<b>

<b> draws attention to a span of text without marking it as more important or changing its tone. Keywords in a summary and product names in a review are typical uses.

Smallest working example

<p>
  The guide covers <b class="keyword">specificity</b> and
  <b class="keyword">inheritance</b>.
</p>

Use it in a sentence

Use it when drawing attention is part of the text’s meaning, such as keywords a reader might scan for. A class can identify the particular use for your stylesheet.

Placement and accessibility

This is phrasing content, so it fits inside a paragraph or another phrasing-content container. It accepts global attributes and has no required element-specific attributes. Keep the phrase understandable without depending on a visual font change. Screen readers and user settings vary; do not assume every reader will hear a different voice.

Choose the right alternative

Use strong for important or urgent content. A heading needs a heading element. For decorative bold text, use font-weight.

Sources and browser support

MDN: b describes the syntax and links to the specification and compatibility data. Check individual values in that table when supporting older browsers.