syn sync linebreaks=1
"additions to HTML groups
-syn region htmlBold start=/\\\@<!\(^\|\A\)\@=\*\@<!\*\*\*\@!/ end=/\\\@<!\*\@<!\*\*\*\@!\($\|\A\)\@=/ contains=@Spell,htmlItalic
-syn region htmlItalic start=/\\\@<!\(^\|\A\)\@=\*\@<!\*\*\@!/ end=/\\\@<!\*\@<!\*\*\@!\($\|\A\)\@=/ contains=htmlBold,@Spell
-syn region htmlBold start=/\\\@<!\(^\|\A\)\@=_\@<!___\@!/ end=/\\\@<!_\@<!___\@!\($\|\A\)\@=/ contains=htmlItalic,@Spell
-syn region htmlItalic start=/\\\@<!\(^\|\A\)\@=_\@<!__\@!/ end=/\\\@<!_\@<!__\@!\($\|\A\)\@=/ contains=htmlBold,@Spell
+syn region htmlItalic start="\(^\|\s\)\@<=\*" end="\*\($\|\s\)\@=" keepend
+syn region htmlItalic start="\(^\|\s\)\@<=_" end="_\($\|\s\)\@=" keepend
+syn region htmlBold start="\(^\|\s\)\@<=\*\*" end="\*\*\($\|\s\)\@=" keepend
+syn region htmlBold start="\(^\|\s\)\@<=__" end="__\($\|\s\)\@=" keepend
+syn region htmlBoldItalic start="\(^\|\s\)\@<=\*\*\*" end="\*\*\*\($\|\s\)\@=" keepend
+syn region htmlBoldItalic start="\(^\|\s\)\@<=___" end="___\($\|\s\)\@=" keepend
" [link](URL) | [link][id] | [link][]
syn region mkdFootnotes matchgroup=mkdDelimiter start="\[^" end="\]"
"define Markdown groups
syn match mkdLineContinue ".$" contained
-syn match mkdRule /^\s*\*\s\{0,1}\*\s\{0,1}\*$/
-syn match mkdRule /^\s*-\s\{0,1}-\s\{0,1}-$/
-syn match mkdRule /^\s+_\s\{0,1}_\s\{0,1}_$/
-syn match mkdRule /^\s*-\{3,}$/
-syn match mkdRule /^\s*\*\{3,5}$/
-syn match mkdListItem "^\s*[-*+]\s\+"
-syn match mkdListItem "^\s*\d\+\.\s\+"
-syn match mkdCode /^\s*\n\(\(\s\{4,}[^ ]\|\t\+[^\t]\).*\n\)\+/
-syn match mkdLineBreak / \+$/
-syn region mkdCode start=/\(\([^\\]\|^\)\\\)\@<!`/ end=/\(\([^\\]\|^\)\\\)\@<!`/
-syn region mkdCode start=/\s*``[^`]*/ end=/[^`]*``\s*/
-syn region mkdCode start=/^```\s*\w*\s*$/ end=/^```\s*$/
-syn region mkdBlockquote start=/^\s*>/ end=/$/ contains=mkdLineBreak,mkdLineContinue,@Spell
-syn region mkdCode start="<pre[^>]*>" end="</pre>"
-syn region mkdCode start="<code[^>]*>" end="</code>"
+syn match mkdLineBreak / \+$/
+syn region mkdBlockquote start=/^\s*>/ end=/$/ contains=mkdLineBreak,mkdLineContinue,@Spell
+syn region mkdCode start=/\(\([^\\]\|^\)\\\)\@<!`/ end=/\(\([^\\]\|^\)\\\)\@<!`/
+syn region mkdCode start=/\s*``[^`]*/ end=/[^`]*``\s*/
+syn region mkdCode start=/^```\s*\w*\s*$/ end=/^```\s*$/
+syn region mkdCode start="<pre[^>]*>" end="</pre>"
+syn region mkdCode start="<code[^>]*>" end="</code>"
+syn match mkdCode /^\s*\n\(\(\s\{4,}[^ ]\|\t\+[^\t]\).*\n\)\+/
+syn match mkdListItem "^\s*[-*+]\s\+"
+syn match mkdListItem "^\s*\d\+\.\s\+"
+syn match mkdRule /^\s*\*\s\{0,1}\*\s\{0,1}\*$/
+syn match mkdRule /^\s*-\s\{0,1}-\s\{0,1}-$/
+syn match mkdRule /^\s*_\s\{0,1}_\s\{0,1}_$/
+syn match mkdRule /^\s*-\{3,}$/
+syn match mkdRule /^\s*\*\{3,5}$/
"HTML headings
syn region htmlH1 start="^\s*#" end="\($\|#\+\)" contains=@Spell