Italics (plural noun) refers to slanted text used for emphasis in writing. In typography, italics are a distinct font style that slants to the right and often differs in weight and letter shapes. They convey emphasis, titles, or foreign words, and are contrasted with upright (roman) type. The term derives from the Italian origin of the style, historically associated with Renaissance typography.
"The book uses italics to indicate foreign phrases."
"In this essay, the author places key terms in italics for emphasis."
"When naming species, you should format genus and species in italics."
"The word is commonly printed in italics in the headings of articles. "
Italic comes from the Italian language and the typographic term italic type, which originated in Renaissance Italy. The practice began as early as the 1500s when Italian printers designed a slanted typeface to imitate handwriting and to save space in printing. The name Italic specifically refers to the type designed to resemble calligraphic Italian handwriting. Over centuries, italic styles were standardized in type families, serving to denote emphasis, book titles, foreign words, or character voice. In English typography, italic and oblique forms were adopted widely by the 18th and 19th centuries, with italic commonly used for emphasis and for citation of foreign terms. The word’s first known usage in English as a type descriptor aligns with the broader adoption of italic fonts in typographic conventions. In modern usage, italics are a universal formatting feature in digital and print media, retaining its stylistic roots while expanding into varied weights and styles (e.g., italic, oblique, and slanted).
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Italics" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Italics"
-ics sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Italics is pronounced /ɪˈtælɪks/ (US/UK/AU share the same core). Stress is on the second syllable: i-TAL-ics. Start with a short, lax i sound, then a clear /ˈtæl/ as in 'tall' with a light aspirated stop, and end with /ɪks/ as in 'icks'. Mouth position: lips relaxed, tongue high for /ɪ/ then blade of tongue toward the alveolar ridge for /tæl/ and /ks/. Listen for the slight y-ness between syllables and avoid a heavy initial vowel.
Common errors: (1) Stress on the first syllable i-; corrected by emphasizing the second syllable: i-TAL-ics. (2) Mispronouncing /æ/ as /eɪ/ or /æ/; ensure a short a as in 'cat'. (3) Slurring the final /ɪks/ into /ɪk/ or /ks/; keep both sounds quick but distinct: /ɪks/. Practice with slow repetition and a short pause between syllables to feel the rhythm.
US, UK, and AU share /ɪˈtælɪks/. The primary difference lies in vowel length and rhoticity. US tends to unstressed vowels slightly reduced in quicker speech, UK may display crisper consonants and tighter /t/; AU generally parallels UK with more non-rhotic tendencies in rapid speech, but many speakers are rhotic in careful speech. Overall, the nucleus /æ/ in /tæ/ remains stable across accents; final /ɪks/ is consistent but may shorten in fast speech.
Challenges include the short /ɪ/ in the first syllable and the rapid transition to /tæl-/, especially if you’re not used to sequences of stops + vowels. The /t/ onset followed quickly by /æ/ and the consonant cluster /ɪks/ at the end require precise tongue positioning and airflow. Practice by isolating each segment, then running through the word slowly with careful lip and tongue placement, then speed up while maintaining clarity.
Is the 'c' in italics always pronounced as /k/? In italics, the letter 'c' at the end of the word is part of the /ks/ cluster; the pronunciation is /ɪˈtælɪks/ where the final sound is /ks/. There’s no silent letter in the word—the 's' contributes to the final /s/ sound paired with the /k/ release of /ks/. This makes the final cluster two distinct sounds rather than a single letter sound.
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