- Success Criterion 3.1.1
- Conformance level A
Multilingual Site Serving Every Locale With the Same Lang Value
3.1.1 — Language of Page
Scenario
Setting
A government tax-filing portal
What’s wrong
Multi-lingual sites serving all locales from one template with hard-coded original language.
Example
A government tax-filing portal is a good example: multi-lingual sites serving all locales from one template with hard-coded original language.
Why it matters
Screen-reader users who need correct pronunciation, and tools that depend on language metadata. The practical effect on a government tax-filing portal: they hear the wrong pronunciation throughout.
How to test
Check multiple locale versions of a multi-lingual site: if all locales are served from one template with a hard-coded original-language lang value, it fails for translated versions.
How to fix
The <html> element must carry a valid lang attribute matching the page language, updated when the site language switches.
Outcome
That one change on a government tax-filing portal means they hear the correct pronunciation.
Who is affected
Screen-reader users who need correct pronunciation, and tools that depend on language metadata.
Learn more
- Understanding Understanding document (opens in a new tab)
Related scenarios
- Page Published With No Language Declared in the Code
- HTML Element Missing Its Language Attribute Entirely
- Page’s Declared Language Not Matching Its Actual Content
- Language Attribute Set to an Invalid or Malformed Value
- Language Switcher That Doesn’t Update the Page’s Lang Attribute
- Language Attribute Set on the Body Instead of the HTML Root