• Success Criterion 2.4.6
  • Conformance level AA

Same Label Used for Two Different Fields on One Form

2.4.6 — Headings and Labels

Scenario

Setting

A dating app's profile setup

What’s wrong

Ambiguous duplicate labels ("Name" for both product and user in one form).

Example 

<label for="user-name">Name</label>
<input id="user-name">
...
<label for="referral-name">Name</label>
<input id="referral-name" placeholder="Friend who invited you">

Why it matters

A screen reader jumping between form fields hears Name twice and can't tell whether it's entering their own name or a referrer's.

How to test

Check for duplicate labels used for different purposes (e.g., 'Name' for both a product field and a user field) within the same form: ambiguity here fails.

How to fix

Reusing the same label for different fields on one form creates real ambiguity, even when each field is technically valid.

<label for="user-name">Your name</label>
<input id="user-name">
...
<label for="referral-name">Friend's name (who invited you)</label>
<input id="referral-name">

Outcome

A user fills in Your name and Friend's name without second-guessing which field is which.

Who is affected

Screen reader users filling out the profile risk entering their own name into the referral field or vice versa.

Learn more

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