How to test
Language
Screen readers switch pronunciation rules based on the declared language. Test that the page's default language is set and that any passage in another language is marked up.
What to test
- The <html> element has a valid lang attribute for the page's default language.
- The value is a correct BCP-47 code (en, en-GB, fr) — not a full word.
- Passages or phrases in a different language carry their own lang attribute.
- Proper names and technical terms aren't wrongly marked as a language change.
- Embedded iframes and widgets declare their own language.
How to test
- 1Inspect the <html> element and confirm a correct lang attribute.
- 2Listen with a screen reader — the voice and pronunciation should match the content's language.
- 3Find foreign-language quotes or terms and confirm each carries a lang attribute.
- 4Validate the language codes are real BCP-47 subtags.
Common failures
- Missing lang on <html>, so the screen reader uses its default voice.
- lang="english" or another invalid value instead of a BCP-47 code.
- A multilingual page with no per-passage lang, so foreign text is mispronounced.
- The wrong code — e.g. lang="en" on a French page.