Use a valid lang attribute value
Last updated:
What is a valid language code?
Valid language codes are either two-letter or three-letter language codes. You can find the list of valid language codes in the ISO 639-1 code list.
For English this would be en:
<html lang="en">
<!-- content -->
</html>
Why is this important?
The language of a page is used by screen readers to speak the content of the page in the correct language.
Check out the language check for other reasons why the language attribute is important.
More info:
Rule info
Standard
WCAG A SC 3.1.1
User impact
Serious impact Significantly hinders users with disabilities. Should be fixed as a high priority. Critical : blocks access entirely Serious : significantly hinders use Moderate : causes difficulty Minor : minimal disruptionFix complexity
Medium level of technical expertise required To resolve this issue, you might need some technical background. It is possible to fix this issue without needing a software developer. This depends on the Content Management System (CMS) that your website is built with.Affects
Visual People with vision related disabilities can include those with color blindness, low vision, or complete blindness. Providing alternative text (also known as alt text) for graphical content is especially important for these individuals, as it allows assistive technologies such as screen readers to describe the content to them.
Free Website Accessibility Audit
Was this article helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!