missing-lang-attribute
Rule Severity : Minor
Description
Ensure that a lang attribute is added to identify a change in language, whenever such a change occurs within the content. Missing language attributes can cause screen readers and other assistive technologies to misinterpret pronunciation or language-specific rendering.
The missing-lang-attribute rule aligns with WCAG Success Criterion 3.1.2 (Language of Parts), which requires that the human language of content passages must be programmatically determinable.
Examples
In the following example, a paragraph in French lacks a lang attribute, making it difficult for assistive technologies to interpret correctly.
In the corrected example, the lang attribute is added to specify the language change:
How to fix?
To fix violations of the missing-lang-attribute rule, follow these steps:
- Identify text passages in a different language than the document’s primary language. The primary language of a page is the language that is used the most in the page. It must also be annotated in the
<html>tag of the page using thelangattribute. - Add a
langattribute with the correct language code to the containing element. - For nested language changes, ensure the inner
langattribute overrides the outer one wherever necessary.
Reference
WCAG Success Criterion 3.1.2: Language of Parts
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