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Why Is the UserWay Screen Reader Using the Wrong Accent or Language?

Learn why the UserWay Widget Screen Reader may use the wrong accent or language and how to configure the website's HTML language attribute correctly.

If the Widget Screen Reader is announcing content using a different language or accent than expected, the most common cause is an incorrect HTML lang attribute on your website.

Symptoms

You may notice one or more of the following:

  1. The Screen Reader speaks in the wrong language.

  2. The Screen Reader uses an unexpected regional accent.

  3. Pronunciation sounds incorrect for the content displayed on the page.

Cause

The Widget's built-in Screen Reader uses your website's HTML lang attribute to determine which language and voice should be used when announcing page content.

The language value should follow the ISO 639-1 standard and, when applicable, include the correct regional code.

Resolution

  1. Check the HTML lang attribute on your website.

  2. Verify that the value matches the language and region used by your website content.

  3. Update the attribute if it is incorrect.

  4. Refresh the page and test the Screen Reader again.

Common Language Codes

Language

Region

Language Code

English

United States

en-US

English

United Kingdom

en-GB

English

Australia

en-AU

Spanish

Spain

es

Spanish

Mexico

es-MX

Portuguese

Portugal

pt

Portuguese

Brazil

pt-BR

ℹ️ Note: Be sure the language code used in the lang attribute reflects both the language and regional variant of your website content whenever applicable.

Expected Result

The Widget Screen Reader uses the correct language and regional accent that matches your website's content.

Need more help?

Contact the UserWay Support Team — we're here to assist you.

Get in touch with UserWay Support.

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