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When writing a letter, or other form of written work, what is the appropriate way to put emphasis on a word or phrase?

When would one use bold?

When would one use italics?

When would one use an underline?

Do they all mean the same, and their usage is simply a matter of preference?

Edit

I would like to know the definition for each of the above, and why you would use one over the other, specifically in writing a letter or other such document.

For example:

This question is not a duplicate.

This question is not a duplicate.

This question is not a duplicate. (I can't use the HTML tag for underline in HTML 5...)

CaptJak
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    Related question, Style Guide: Bold, Italic, or Quotes When I Want to Emphasize Something and Using bold or italic text in quotes. –  Jan 10 '16 at 16:04
  • @Rathony, definitely related, but I looked over all of those previously and they do not refer to the same situation. – CaptJak Jan 10 '16 at 16:06
  • I am afraid the first answer to the first linked question could be the answer to your question. –  Jan 10 '16 at 16:13
  • @Rathony, absolutely not. The first question is related to the usage of bold, italics or quotation marks on buttons, and is entirely from a UX perspective. It does not explain the reasoning for their usage or their definition. – CaptJak Jan 10 '16 at 16:16
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    Your question received one close-vote. I will leave this issue for other users to decide. Anyway, many punctuation-related questions have been closed either as duplicate or as primarily-opinion-based. Good luck. –  Jan 10 '16 at 16:21
  • @Rathony, if you know the answer to the question, wouldn't it be simpler to provide the answer? I have already stated that the answer which you linked does not answer the question that I have, and so I am left with the same confusion. – CaptJak Jan 10 '16 at 16:29
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    Understand that many of the long-standing "rules" were originally developed for typewritten text. With a typewriter you had no real option for italics, and bold was kind of iffy, so underlining was used extensively. In general, the techniques used are highly dependent on the capabilities of the medium, plus how different strategies appear in that medium. What looks good in print may not look good on-screen, and vice-versa. – Hot Licks Jan 10 '16 at 19:15
  • The why is the same for all of these— as it is for capitalization, all-caps, small-caps, underscores, blockquotes, and so on: to distinguish some text as different from other text. We cannot compress the history of typography into a StackExchange answer. When and how to use them is a question of style, and that will vary by medium and publication; some will dictate quotation marks where others require italics, and still others may recommend small-caps, for example. Adhere to the guidance of your editor or favorite style guide. – choster Jan 14 '16 at 16:20

1 Answers1

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When writing a letter, as a matter of style and etiquette, it is rarely necessary (or appropriate) to resort to the use of bold, italics or underlining. One should choose words and phrases carefully to clearly communicate your meaning instead of resorting to typographical emphasis. This is, of course, just my opinion. However, the use of bold and underlining both suggest "shouting" at your reader, while italics are more subtle. Use of any of the three may suggest that you have not put enough time into writing well in the first place.

EDIT: In response to the OP's request for an example of use for each, I've pasted in the following wholly fictional fund-raising letter:

enter image description here

Mark Hubbard
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