>>>I don't use them for emphasis, only to denote a slanted meaning. It's only Americans (that I've seen so far) who use them in writing to replace italics, the very same people regularly who use them in speech by making the gesture with both hands (two fingers on each, doing funny rabbit ears) for slanted meaning. Go figure.
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>>Air quotes :)
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>I suppose if you want it make clear about what you're saying while speaking, you could use audible punctuation?

Phonetic punctuation