diff --git a/README b/README.md
rename from README
rename to README.md
--- a/README
+++ b/README.md
@@ -23,16 +23,16 @@
 
 This will install Python as python3.
 
-You can pass many options to the configure script; run "./configure --help" to
-find out more.  On OSX and Cygwin, the executable is called python.exe;
-elsewhere it's just python.
+You can pass many options to the configure script; run `./configure --help` to
+find out more.  On OSX and Cygwin, the executable is called `python.exe`;
+elsewhere it's just `python`.
 
-On Mac OS X, if you have configured Python with --enable-framework, you should
-use "make frameworkinstall" to do the installation.  Note that this installs the
+On Mac OS X, if you have configured Python with `--enable-framework`, you should
+use `make frameworkinstall` to do the installation.  Note that this installs the
 Python executable in a place that is not normally on your PATH, you may want to
-set up a symlink in /usr/local/bin.
+set up a symlink in `/usr/local/bin`.
 
-On Windows, see PCbuild/readme.txt.
+On Windows, see `PCbuild/readme.txt`.
 
 If you wish, you can create a subdirectory and invoke configure from there.
 For example:
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 (This will fail if you *also* built at the top-level directory.
 You should do a "make clean" at the toplevel first.)
 
-If you need an optimized version of Python, you type "make profile-opt" in the
+If you need an optimized version of Python, you type `make profile-opt` in the
 top level directory. This will rebuild the interpreter executable using Profile
 Guided Optimization (PGO). For more details, see the section bellow.
 
@@ -127,14 +127,14 @@
 Testing
 -------
 
-To test the interpreter, type "make test" in the top-level directory.
+To test the interpreter, type `make test` in the top-level directory.
 The test set produces some output.  You can generally ignore the messages
 about skipped tests due to optional features which can't be imported.
 If a message is printed about a failed test or a traceback or core dump
 is produced, something is wrong.
 
 By default, tests are prevented from overusing resources like disk space and
-memory.  To enable these tests, run "make testall".
+memory.  To enable these tests, run `make testall`.
 
 IMPORTANT: If the tests fail and you decide to mail a bug report, *don't*
 include the output of "make test".  It is useless.  Run the failing test
@@ -150,19 +150,19 @@
 ----------------------------
 
 On Unix and Mac systems if you intend to install multiple versions of Python
-using the same installation prefix (--prefix argument to the configure script)
+using the same installation prefix (`--prefix` argument to the configure script)
 you must take care that your primary python executable is not overwritten by the
 installation of a different version.  All files and directories installed using
 "make altinstall" contain the major and minor version and can thus live
-side-by-side.  "make install" also creates ${prefix}/bin/python3 which refers to
-${prefix}/bin/pythonX.Y.  If you intend to install multiple versions using the
-same prefix you must decide which version (if any) is your "primary" version.
-Install that version using "make install".  Install all other versions using
-"make altinstall".
+side-by-side.  `make install` also creates `${prefix}/bin/python3` which refers
+to `${prefix}/bin/pythonX.Y`.  If you intend to install multiple versions using
+the same prefix you must decide which version (if any) is your "primary"
+version.  Install that version using `make install`.  Install all other
+versions using `make altinstall`.
 
 For example, if you want to install Python 2.6, 2.7 and 3.6 with 2.7 being the
 primary version, you would execute "make install" in your 2.7 build directory
-and "make altinstall" in the others.
+and `make altinstall` in the others.
 
 
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