Use the Unicode rows when the destination has no markdown. Use the asterisk row when the destination is Discord, Slack, or a Markdown file. They are not the same letters.
How to use
- Type the words. Digits and punctuation will stay plain on the Unicode rows.
- Press Italicise. Copy one of the three rows.
- Reset restores the sample word Note.
Formula / how it works
The slanted alphabet. Unicode italic capitals start at a different code point from Latin A. The small letters follow, with one historical exception: the italic small h is the Planck-constant symbol, because the italic block left that slot empty. You still get a letter that reads as h. Bold italic has its own h and does not borrow that symbol. An italics generator that only wrapped asterisks would do nothing in a bio field. The Unicode rows are there for that field.
Markdown is a convention, not a character style. The third row puts one asterisk on each side. A renderer that knows Markdown or Discord markup will draw italic and hide the asterisks. A renderer that does not will show the asterisks. Neither outcome means the Unicode row failed. If you need both a slanted look and a bold weight, copy the bold-italic row rather than stacking asterisks you are not sure the app understands.
Neighbours. The cursive text generator is calligraphy, not a slanted roman. The bold text generator is weight without the slant. This page is only the italic pair plus the asterisk form, so the result stays three lines.
What does not slant. Digits, spaces, emoji and punctuation are unchanged on the Unicode rows. An accented letter is not rebuilt. If the word is “café”, the é stays é between italic neighbours. The Markdown row includes every character you typed, accents included, because it does not remap letters at all.
Length and search. The box allows 280 characters. The last line is the length of the input. Italic letters are poor search keys. A page title you want Google to read should stay in ordinary Latin. Use the italic row in a caption or a display name, and keep the plain spelling where search matters.
A quick visual test. Italic of Note and bold italic of Note should both read as Note, one lighter and one heavier. If you see boxes, the font on that device lacks the alphabet. The Markdown row will still be readable everywhere, asterisks included.
Stacking styles by hand. Putting asterisks around a Unicode italic word asks the destination to italicise letters that are already italic characters. Some apps do both, and the result looks like a double slant or like asterisks you did not want. Pick one row. If you are writing Markdown for a repository README, the asterisk row is the one that will still make sense in a diff, because the underlying letters stay Latin and the marks are visible in the source.
Case stays put. Italic capitals and italic small letters are separate. “Note” does not become “note”. If you wanted the case changed as well, change it before you press Italicise. The tool does not have a case option, on purpose, so a proper name is not lower-cased behind your back.
Worked examples
The sample word in all three forms
Inputs: Text: Note
Leave the text as Note and press Italicise. The Markdown row is the word with one asterisk on each side.
Result: Italic: 𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑒
Bold italic: 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆
Markdown: *Note*
Characters: 4
Another four-letter word
Inputs: Text: Sale
Change the text to Sale and press Italicise. Digits are not involved, so every letter is remapped on the Unicode rows.
Result: Italic: 𝑆𝑎𝑙𝑒
Bold italic: 𝑺𝒂𝒍𝒆
Markdown: *Sale*
Characters: 4
Use cases
- A bio field that shows asterisks instead of italic formatting.
- A Markdown file where the asterisk form is what you actually want.
- Comparing italic with bold italic before you pick a weight.
- Checking that a phone font has the italic mathematical letters.
Tips & limitations
- Pick Unicode or asterisks, not both, unless you want asterisks around already-italic letters.
- Do not italicise a heading you need indexed as plain text.
- Expect digits to stay upright.
- Use the cursive page for a handwriting look.
FAQ
Is this the italic button from a word processor?
No. A word processor stores the letter plus a style flag. The Unicode rows store different letters. The asterisk row stores the letter plus asterisks.
Why might the small h look slightly odd?
The italic small h is the Planck-constant character, because the italic block has no separate h. It still reads as h.
Which row should a Discord message use?
The asterisk row, if you want Discord’s own italic. The Unicode row is for places that would show the asterisks.
Will numbers slant?
Not on the Unicode rows. Digits have no italic form in this alphabet.
Can I italicise emoji?
No. Emoji are copied unchanged.
Is the word uploaded?
No. The three rows are built in the browser.
Runs entirely in your browser; your text is not uploaded. Counts and scores are heuristics, so review the output before you publish it.