diff --git a/writeas/AppDelegate.swift b/writeas/AppDelegate.swift
index b2d68b1..1d6f392 100644
--- a/writeas/AppDelegate.swift
+++ b/writeas/AppDelegate.swift
@@ -90,6 +90,11 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate {
         wc?.embolden()
     }
 
+    @IBAction func formatEmphasis(_ sender: Any) {
+        let wc = NSApplication.shared().mainWindow?.windowController as? WindowController
+        wc?.emphasize()
+    }
+
     @IBAction func setFontSerif(_ sender: NSMenuItem) {
         deselectAllFonts()
         sender.state = NSOnState
diff --git a/writeas/Base.lproj/Main.storyboard b/writeas/Base.lproj/Main.storyboard
index ec3c57b..93dc51e 100644
--- a/writeas/Base.lproj/Main.storyboard
+++ b/writeas/Base.lproj/Main.storyboard
@@ -328,6 +328,11 @@ DQ
                                                 <action selector="formatStrong:" target="Voe-Tx-rLC" id="Cpe-8G-6Yo"/>
                                             </connections>
                                         </menuItem>
+                                        <menuItem title="Emphasis" keyEquivalent="i" id="gi9-4H-ILA">
+                                            <connections>
+                                                <action selector="formatEmphasis:" target="Voe-Tx-rLC" id="uTS-Jh-2A2"/>
+                                            </connections>
+                                        </menuItem>
                                     </items>
                                 </menu>
                             </menuItem>
diff --git a/writeas/ViewController.swift b/writeas/ViewController.swift
index a4329e1..26b5069 100644
--- a/writeas/ViewController.swift
+++ b/writeas/ViewController.swift
@@ -87,14 +87,26 @@ class ViewController: NSViewController, NSTextViewDelegate, NSUserNotificationCe
     }
 
     func embolden() {
+        formatText(with: "**\(getSelectedText())**", offset: 2)
+    }
+
+    func emphasize() {
+        formatText(with: "_\(getSelectedText())_", offset: 1)
+    }
+
+    fileprivate func getSelectedText() -> String {
         let selectedRange = writerText.selectedRange()
-        let selString = (self.writerText.textStorage?.string as! NSString).substring(with: selectedRange)
-        let repString = "**\(selString)**"
-        if self.writerText.shouldChangeText(in: selectedRange, replacementString: repString) {
-            self.writerText.replaceCharacters(in: NSRange(location: selectedRange.location, length: selectedRange.length), with: repString)
+        return (self.writerText.textStorage?.string as! NSString).substring(with: selectedRange)
+    }
+
+    fileprivate func formatText(with: String, offset: Int) {
+        let selectedRange = writerText.selectedRange()
+        let selString = getSelectedText()
+        if self.writerText.shouldChangeText(in: selectedRange, replacementString: with) {
+            self.writerText.replaceCharacters(in: NSRange(location: selectedRange.location, length: selectedRange.length), with: with)
             self.writerText.didChangeText()
             if selString == "" {
-                writerText.setSelectedRange(NSRange(location: selectedRange.location + 2, length: 0))
+                writerText.setSelectedRange(NSRange(location: selectedRange.location + offset, length: 0))
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/writeas/WindowController.swift b/writeas/WindowController.swift
index 2408f66..e3ed13c 100644
--- a/writeas/WindowController.swift
+++ b/writeas/WindowController.swift
@@ -31,4 +31,7 @@ class WindowController: NSWindowController {
     func embolden() {
         vc?.embolden()
     }
+    func emphasize() {
+        vc?.emphasize()
+    }
 }