Understandable / 3.1 Readable
3.1.1Language of Page
Level ADeclare the page's default language (e.g. lang="ja") on the html element so it can be determined programmatically. Screen readers rely on this to apply correct pronunciation and intonation; without it, content may be read in the wrong language or machine translation may degrade.
Note
A detailed commentary for this success criterion is not yet available. In the meantime, this page lists related patterns, techniques, and links to the normative sources.
Related Techniques
Specific implementation techniques for meeting this success criterion. This site doesn't include the full text, so follow the links to the original W3C documents.
Sufficient Techniques(3)
- H57: Using the language attribute on the HTML element(opens in a new tab)waic.jp(opens in a new tab)
- PDF16: Setting the default language using the /Lang entry in the document catalog of a PDF document(opens in a new tab)waic.jp(opens in a new tab)
- PDF19: Specifying the language for a passage or phrase with the Lang entry in PDF documents(opens in a new tab)waic.jp(opens in a new tab)
Normative References
- Success Criterion 3.1.1 Language of Page — WCAG 2.2(opens in a new tab)The normative requirement text.
- Understanding Language of Page — W3C(opens in a new tab)Official guidance on intent, examples, and techniques.