*your text here*Wrap any text between single asterisks to italicize it on Discord. Single underscores also work.
Italic text adds a subtle emphasis that bold cannot match. Whether you are quoting a thought, highlighting a book title, or softening a tone in a message, knowing how to italicize on Discord makes your chat presence feel more natural and intentional.
This guide covers italic on desktop and mobile, including the keyboard shortcut, manual markdown, and the difference between asterisk and underscore methods. For a complete reference of every formatting option, check out The Ultimate Discord Text Formatting Guide.
How to Italicize Text on Discord Desktop
On the desktop app and web client, you have three ways to italicize text.
Method 1: Keyboard Shortcut (Ctrl + I)
Type or select the text you want to italicize, then press Ctrl + I on Windows / Linux, or ⌘ + I on Mac. Discord wraps it in * automatically. This works in any text channel, DM, or group chat.
Method 2: Type the Markdown Manually
Add a single asterisk before and after the text with no spaces: *this will be italic*. You can also use single underscores: _this will also be italic_. Discord renders both identically. For example, typing *Discordify* is the best server directory sends as Discordify is the best server directory.
Method 3: Use the Text Toolbar
Discord's desktop client shows a small formatting toolbar when you start selecting text. Click the I icon in that toolbar and Discord wraps the selection in italic markdown automatically. If you do not see the toolbar, use the keyboard shortcut or manual syntax instead.
Italicizing using the toolbar (Method 3) and manual markdown (Method 2)
How to Italicize Text on Discord Mobile (iOS & Android)
Italicizing on mobile works through the formatting toolbar or by typing the syntax manually.
iOS (iPhone / iPad)
- 1
Type your message in the chat input.
- 2
Select the word or phrase you want to italicize by tapping and dragging the selection handles.
- 3
Tap the I icon in the formatting bar that appears above the selection.
- 4
Send the message. Discord wraps it in
*automatically.
Android
- 1
Tap the message input to open your keyboard.
- 2
Long-press or select the text you want to format.
- 3
Look for the formatting toolbar above the keyboard and tap the I icon.
- 4
If no toolbar appears, manually type
*text*around your words.
*asterisks* or _underscores_ on mobile. Both produce the same italic result, but asterisks are easier to find on most mobile keyboards.Asterisks vs Underscores: Which One Should You Use?
Discord supports both *single asterisks* and _single underscores_ for italics. They are identical in output, but there is one practical difference.
- Asterisks are more reliable inside words or next to punctuation. If you type
*hello* world, it italicizes "hello" cleanly. - Underscores can sometimes break if the text touches other characters. For example,
_hello_ worldworks fine, but_hello_worldmight not render as expected because Discord reads the whole thing as one word.
If you want to be safe in all situations, use asterisks. If you are typing standalone words, underscores work just as well.
How to Italicize Only Part of a Word on Discord
Yes, you can italicize part of a word on Discord. Wrap the section you want italic in * markers and leave the rest outside. For example:
*Disc*ordifysends as Discordify (only the first four letters are italic).Dis*cord*ifysends as Discordify (only the middle part is italic).*Discordify* is greatsends as Discordify is great (the whole word is italic).
This works with asterisks. Underscores may not work reliably for partial word italicization, so stick with * for mid-word formatting.
Italic Not Working on Discord? Try These Fixes
Common Issues
- You are using double symbols instead of single.
**text**creates bold, not italic.*text*(single asterisk) or_text_(single underscore) creates italic. - There is no visible difference between italic and normal text on your font. Some Discord fonts or display settings make italics hard to see. Try adding bold for stronger emphasis instead.
- You are in a code block. Text inside
`inline code`or```code blocks```is displayed literally and will not render italic formatting. - Underscores are not working mid-word. Switch to asterisks. Underscores can fail inside words, but asterisks handle partial word italicization reliably.
- The shortcut is not responding. If Ctrl + I does nothing, type the markdown manually (
*text*). It always works.
Italic Text Discord FAQ
How do I italicize text on Discord without asterisks?
_text_.What is the difference between * and _ in Discord italic?
*text*) are more reliable near punctuation and inside words. Underscores (_text_) work for standalone words but can break mid-word.Can I combine italic with bold or underline?
***bold italic*** for bold + italic, or __*italic underline*__ for italic + underline. For more combinations, see our full formatting guide.How do I italicize on Discord mobile without a keyboard shortcut?
*text* manually around your words.