Page missing language attribute
Regulation
European Accessibility ActHow common
Found on approximately 15-20% of websites. Easy to fix but often overlooked.
What this means
The <html> element does not have a lang attribute. Screen readers use this attribute to determine the correct pronunciation and voice for reading the page content.
WCAG requirement
Success Criterion 3.1.1 — Language of Page: the default human language of each web page must be programmatically determinable.
Why this matters
Without a lang attribute, screen readers default to the user’s system language. A Dutch page read with English pronunciation rules becomes unintelligible. This affects all screen reader users visiting pages in their language.
How to fix
Add the lang attribute to your <html> element:
- English:
<html lang="en"> - Dutch:
<html lang="nl"> - Portuguese:
<html lang="pt"> - French:
<html lang="fr">
For pages with sections in multiple languages, use lang on the specific elements: <blockquote lang="fr">...</blockquote>.
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