Understanding the HTML <u> Tag

The <u> tag in HTML is used to underline text. Traditionally, it was commonly used to represent non-emphasized underlined text. However, with the evolution of HTML standards, the <u> tag's semantic meaning has shifted, and it is now recommended to use it to denote text that should be stylistically different from normal text without conveying any additional importance.

What Does the <u> Tag Do?

Unlike the <em> or <strong> tags that semantically emphasize text, the <u> tag is purely for styling purposes to indicate some non-textual annotation. This could be proper names in Chinese text, labeling text as being in a foreign language, or indicating spelling mistakes. Its purpose is to distinguish words from the standard content without implying extra emphasis or importance.

Example of <u> Tag Usage

Here is a simple example of how to use the <u> tag in HTML:

<p>Do not forget to read the <u>Appendix</u> at the end of the document.</p>

In this example, the <u> tag is used to underline the word "Appendix" to indicate it as a specific section of the text that is different, without adding any emphasis or importance to it.

Current Best Practices

Modern HTML5 standards advise using the <u> tag sparingly. It should not be used to denote emphasis or importance. Instead, it is more appropriate for denoting text annotations such as misspelt words, proper nouns in certain contexts, or when denoting that a text is an active item in a user interface.

Styling Alternatives

If the goal is purely to underline text for visual effect or emphasis, CSS should be used instead:

<style>
    .underline {
        text-decoration: underline;
    }
</style>
<p>This is <span class="underline">underlined text</span> using CSS.</p>

This approach keeps the HTML cleaner and separates presentation from content, which is a fundamental principle of modern web design.

Conclusion

The <u> tag serves a specific purpose in HTML and should be used correctly to maintain the semantic integrity of web documents. While it can underline text, it is important to use it appropriately based on its intended purpose and opt for CSS for general text decoration to ensure accessibility and maintainability of HTML documents.