diff --git a/src/words/transcription.js b/src/words/transcription.js
index 21bc797..b94e7fb 100644
--- a/src/words/transcription.js
+++ b/src/words/transcription.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import addEmphasis from '../utilities/addEmphasis.js'
+
 export default function createTranscription(data, { targetLang }) {
 
   const lang = targetLang ? `lang='${ targetLang }'` : ``
@@ -5,7 +7,7 @@ export default function createTranscription(data, { targetLang }) {
 
   for (const ortho in data) {
     const txn = data[ortho]
-    html += `<span class=w-txn data-ortho='${ ortho }' ${ lang }>${ txn }</span>\n`
+    html += `<span class=w-txn data-ortho='${ ortho }' ${ lang }>${ addEmphasis(txn) }</span>\n`
   }
 
   return html
diff --git a/test/words.test.js b/test/words.test.js
index b554ae6..0c7d6ce 100644
--- a/test/words.test.js
+++ b/test/words.test.js
@@ -60,4 +60,17 @@ describe(`words`, function() {
 
   })
 
+  it.only(`word transcription supports emphasis`, async function() {
+
+    const scription = `
+    \\w   *waxdungu* qasi
+    \\wlt *day-one*  man
+    `
+
+    const { dom, html } = await parse(scription)
+    const b             = findElement(dom, el => getTagName(el) === `b`)
+
+    expect(getTextContent(b)).to.equal(`waxdungu`)
+
+  })
 })