diff --git a/filter/censor/filter.php b/filter/censor/filter.php
index a458ae70c2f..92c9053ca60 100644
--- a/filter/censor/filter.php
+++ b/filter/censor/filter.php
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ class filter_censor extends moodle_text_filter {
             foreach ($badwords as $badword) {
                 $badword = trim($badword);
                 if($this->_canseecensor()){
-                    $words[] = new filterobject($badword, '<span title="'.$badword.'">', '</span>',
+                    $words[] = new filterobject($badword, '<span class="censoredtexthighlight" title="'.$badword.'">', '</span>',
                         false, false, $badword);
                 } else {
                     $words[] = new filterobject($badword, '<span class="censoredtext" title="'.$badword.'">',
diff --git a/theme/standard/style/core.css b/theme/standard/style/core.css
index 9d863fe575a..3e103d006e4 100644
--- a/theme/standard/style/core.css
+++ b/theme/standard/style/core.css
@@ -83,6 +83,7 @@ table.formtable tbody th {background-color: transparent;background-image: none;}
 .unread {background: #FFD991;}
 
 .censoredtext {color:#000000;background:#000000;}
+.censoredtexthighlight {color:#000000;background:#B0B0B0;}
 
 .navigation select {background-color:#FFFFFF;}
 .navigation optgroup {background-color:#EEEEEE;}