Goal
Ensure language changes within a page are identified.
Success Criterion · WCAG 3.1.2
Language of Parts
The human language of each passage or phrase in the content can be programmatically determined except for proper names, technical terms, words of indeterminate language, and words or phrases that have become part of the vernacular of the immediately surrounding text.
Level AAWCAG 2.0Understandable3.1 · Readable
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What to do
Mark passages, phrases, or words that are in a different language than the page default using `lang`.
Why it matters
Screen readers need language changes to pronounce correctly; braille translation also depends on accurate language metadata.
Success criterion
What WCAG 3.1.2 requires
Summarized directly from the official Understanding document so teams can quote the requirement accurately.
The human language of each passage or phrase in the content can be programmatically determined except for proper names, technical terms, words of indeterminate language, and words or phrases that have become part of the vernacular of the immediately surrounding text.
Intent
Why WCAG created this requirement
- Language switching improves pronunciation and understanding.
- Applies to phrases and passages, not just entire pages.
- Some items are exempt (proper names, technical terms, vernacular borrowings).
Benefits
Who gains when you pass
- Screen reader users hear correct pronunciation for foreign-language phrases.
- Braille users receive correct translation rules for embedded phrases.
- Multilingual users can interpret content more accurately.
Why it matters
User impact when this criterion fails
Summaries drawn from the Understanding document help you socialize impact statements with product stakeholders.
Foreign phrases may be mispronounced, causing confusion.
Users may misunderstand important instructions or examples.
Exception guidelines
Use the WCAG 3.1.2 exceptions correctly
Document the rationale for each exception and note which alternative support you provide.
Proper names and technical terms
Proper names and technical terms are exempt.
Requirement
No need to mark proper names/technical terms if pronunciation switching is not expected.
Vernacular borrowings
Words that have become part of surrounding vernacular are exempt.
Requirement
If it’s effectively part of the surrounding language, marking may not be required.
Overview
When a page contains content in multiple languages, mark the parts that differ from the default language (e.g., a Spanish phrase on an English page). This ensures correct pronunciation and comprehension.
- Use `lang` on the element that wraps the foreign-language phrase (e.g., `<span lang="es">`…).
- Don’t over-apply: proper names and widely adopted words may not need marking.
- Ensure nested language tags are correct when multiple switches occur.
Reference: All summaries and highlights originate from Understanding WCAG 3.1.2 and the W3C quick reference.
Fast facts
- Conformance level
- Level AA
- WCAG version introduced
- WCAG 2.0
- Principle
- Understandable
- Guideline
- 3.1 · Readable
Examples
Make success tangible for teams
Share pass/fail snapshots to coach designers, engineers, QA, and content authors.
Foreign phrase in English page
Pass
“My favorite word is <span lang="fr">bonjour</span>.”
Fail
Foreign phrase appears with no `lang`, causing mispronunciation.
Long quote
Pass
<blockquote lang="es">…</blockquote> for a Spanish quote.
Fail
Spanish quote is read with English rules.
Evidence to keep
Document conformance decisions
Capture artifacts for VPATs, procurement reviews, and regression testing.
- Document multilingual content patterns and approved language tags.
- Provide examples for content authors on when/how to tag language changes.
Official resources
Deep dives and supporting material
Keep these links handy when writing acceptance criteria or responding to audits.
Implementation checklist
Capture progress and blockers
- Identify pages with multilingual content (quotes, examples, UI copy).
- Wrap foreign-language phrases/passages and apply appropriate `lang` codes.
- Verify locale switching doesn’t create incorrect nested `lang` tags.
- Document rules for when to mark language parts (e.g., long phrases vs borrowed words).
Testing ideas
Prove conformance with evidence
- Inspect DOM and confirm `lang` is applied to foreign-language phrases.
- Use a screen reader to confirm pronunciation changes appropriately.
- Check exemptions are applied sensibly (proper names not over-tagged).
Related success criteria