While both "highlight" and "emphasize" are used to draw attention to something, there's a subtle difference in how they do it. "Highlight" means to draw attention to something by making it stand out visually, often literally making it brighter or more noticeable. "Emphasize," on the other hand, means to give special importance or significance to something, often through stronger wording or delivery. Think of it this way: you highlight text by making it bold, but you emphasize a point by repeating it or using stronger language.

Here are some examples to clarify:

• Highlight:

  • "The teacher highlighted the key words on the board." (The teacher made the key words stand out visually, perhaps by underlining or using a different color.)
  • "The article highlights the importance of regular exercise." (The article makes the importance of exercise a prominent feature.)

• Emphasize:

  • "The coach emphasized the need for teamwork." (The coach made the importance of teamwork very clear and important.)
  • "She emphasized that she wouldn't be late." (She stressed this point to make sure it was understood.)

Notice that you can highlight something without emphasizing it (e.g., highlighting a random word in a text), and you can emphasize something without highlighting it (e.g., saying something in a serious tone of voice). However, often highlighting does serve to emphasize a point, making it visually and conceptually important.

Here's another example illustrating the difference:

• Highlight: "The presentation highlighted the company's impressive growth numbers." (The numbers were visually prominent in the presentation)
• Emphasize: "The CEO emphasized the company's impressive growth numbers, stating that they represented years of dedicated hard work." (The CEO made it clear that these numbers were extremely significant)

Happy learning!