WCAG 2.1 SC 3.1.6: Pronunciation (Level AAA)
3.1.6 Pronunciation (Level AAA) — what it requires, a common failure example, and how to fix it. Part of WCAG 2.1's 3.1 Readable guideline under the Understandable principle.
WCAG 2.1 guidelines hub → Understandable → 3.1 Readable
3.1.6 Pronunciation (Level AAA)
Readable is about making the language of your content programmatically identifiable, so screen readers pronounce it correctly and translation/reading tools work as intended. Most sites clear the Level A bar here with a single HTML attribute; the AAA criteria go further, into content clarity, that most sites won’t target.
This page is educational technical reference material, not legal advice. Meeting WCAG 2.1 does not by itself determine legal compliance with the ADA or any other law — consult qualified counsel for legal risk questions.
Plain-language explanation: Where a word’s meaning depends on how it’s pronounced (e.g. “read” as present vs. past tense, or a word that’s ambiguous without audio context), there should be a way to determine the intended pronunciation.
Common failure: A product name or brand term has a specific, non-obvious pronunciation, and there’s no audio clip, phonetic spelling, or other cue provided anywhere near it.
Remediation: Provide a phonetic respelling or short audio pronunciation clip next to ambiguous terms — relevant mainly for brand names, technical terms, or content aimed at language learners.
In this guideline — 3.1 Readable: 3.1.1 Language of Page (A) · 3.1.2 Language of Parts (AA) · 3.1.3 Unusual Words (AAA) · 3.1.4 Abbreviations (AAA) · 3.1.5 Reading Level (AAA) · 3.1.6 Pronunciation (AAA)
← Previous: 3.1.5 Reading Level (AAA)
↑ Back to the Understandable overview · Full WCAG 2.1 wiki
See a sample report or check pricing — $890 one-time, $99/month for ongoing re-checks after fixes ship.
This page is educational content about technical accessibility practice, not legal advice. Meeting WCAG 2.1 does not guarantee legal compliance with the ADA or any other law. Consult qualified counsel for legal risk questions.
This page was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by a person for accuracy before publication.