Page language checker
Checks that each page declares its language, marks passages in other languages and has a title.
What this check looks for
The audit runs this check with every other check, on the page as the browser renders it.
- Missing page language
- An html element without a lang attribute, so screen readers guess the pronunciation.
- Invalid language codes
- Values such as "english" or misspelled codes that assistive technology can't use.
- Passages in other languages
- Text in another language without its own lang attribute.
- Missing page titles
- Pages with no title or an empty one, so people can't tell tabs apart.
What a failure looks like
A bilingual clinic page has no lang attribute, so a screen reader set to Spanish reads English text with Spanish pronunciation.
<!-- Broken: no language declared -->
<html>
<p>Hablamos español.</p><!-- Fixed: page language, plus the passage in another language -->
<html lang="en">
<p lang="es">Hablamos español.</p>How it shows in AccessGuard
Each finding names the WCAG criterion, explains the problem in plain words and shows the element that fails, so a developer can find it on the page.
WCAG criteria
Findings from this check name one of these criteria. How much of each the audit can decide on its own:
| Criterion | Level | Automation |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1.1 Language of Page | A | Automated |
| 3.1.2 Language of Parts | AA | Partly automated |
| 2.4.2 Page Titled A missing or empty title is found automatically. Whether it describes the page needs a person. | A | Partly automated |
What still needs a person
No automated tool can confirm these. AccessGuard marks related findings as Review, so nobody mistakes them for a pass.
- Whether the page title describes the page and its site.
- Short phrases in another language that don't need marking, such as names.
Questions
Which language code should I use?
A valid BCP 47 code, such as en, en-GB, es or de. The primary code on its own is enough for most sites.
Does the lang attribute help SEO?
Search engines mainly use the content and hreflang tags, but a correct lang attribute is still the standard way to declare the language, and screen readers rely on it.
Why is the page title in this check?
The title and the language live in the same part of the page, and both are quick to fix. WCAG 2.4.2 needs a title that describes the page.
Related checks and guides
- Headings and landmarks checker
Checks that pages have a clear heading outline, a main landmark and a way to skip repeated navigation.
- Link text checker
Finds links with no accessible name, vague text like "click here", and links that open new windows without warning.
- ARIA checker
Finds invalid roles and attributes, controls with no accessible name and ARIA that hides content people need.
- What Is WCAG? A Plain-English Guide to 2.0, 2.1 and 2.2
Guide
Check a client page for page language and title issues
The free audit runs this check and every other one. Results in about a minute.