Free Language Attribute Checker
Verify your pages declare the correct language for screen readers. Check for missing or invalid lang attributes that cause mispronunciation.
How Our Language Attribute Checker Works
Our language checker verifies that your page declares its primary language and that any content in a different language is properly marked. It detects missing lang attributes on the html element, invalid language codes, content in a different language than declared, and sections with their own lang attributes that use incorrect codes.
The Impact of Language Attribute Checker Issues
Screen readers use the page's language declaration to select the correct pronunciation engine. Without a lang attribute, a screen reader might read French text with English pronunciation rules, making it unintelligible. This is a Level A WCAG requirement and one of the simplest accessibility fixes - yet it is missing on over 18% of websites according to WebAIM's annual survey.
Issues Our Language Attribute Checker Finds
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Missing lang attribute
The <html> element has no lang attribute. Screen readers must guess the page language, often defaulting to the user's system language.
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Invalid language code
Using incorrect language codes like lang="english" instead of lang="en" or lang="uk" instead of lang="en-GB".
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Foreign text unmarked
Content in a different language than the page default that is not wrapped in an element with the appropriate lang attribute.
Related WCAG Requirements
Language of Page
The default human language of each page can be programmatically determined.
Language of Parts
The language of each passage or phrase can be programmatically determined.
How AccessGuard Fixes This
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Automatic Detection
Our scanner checks your entire site for language attribute checker issues in minutes. No manual testing required.
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AI-Powered Fix Suggestions
Get the exact code changes needed to fix each issue. Copy the fix, send it to your developer, and it's done.
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Plain English Reports
Every issue explained without technical jargon. Understand what is wrong and why it matters, even without coding knowledge.
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Priority Ranking
Issues ranked by lawsuit risk so you fix the most dangerous ones first. Focus on what matters, not a 500-item checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set the page language?
Add a lang attribute to your <html> element: <html lang="en"> for English, <html lang="fr"> for French, etc. Use standard BCP 47 language codes. Most template systems and CMS platforms have a setting for this.
What if my page has content in multiple languages?
Set the primary language on the <html> element, then wrap foreign-language content in a span or div with the appropriate lang attribute. For example: <span lang="fr">Bonjour</span> within an English page.
Does the lang attribute affect SEO?
The lang attribute itself is not a direct ranking factor, but it helps search engines understand your content language. For multi-language sites, proper lang attributes combined with hreflang tags help search engines serve the right language version to users.
Other Accessibility Checkers
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Heading Structure Checker
Analyze your page's heading hierarchy for proper nesting and structure. Fix heading issues that confuse screen reader users and hurt your SEO.
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Landmark Checker
Verify your page has proper landmark regions for screen reader navigation. Check for missing header, nav, main, and footer landmarks.
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ARIA Accessibility Checker
Validate ARIA roles, states, and properties across your site. Catch invalid ARIA usage that confuses screen readers and assistive technology.
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