Resource guide

3.1.1 Language of Page

The default language of each web page must be identified in the code.

By Calling All Minds·Last updated April 2026

3.1.1

Success criterion

A

Conformance level

Essential baseline — must meet for any compliance.

What it means

Screen readers use the page language to determine how to pronounce content. If the language is not specified, the screen reader uses its default language setting, which may produce incorrect pronunciation for users of other languages.

The lang attribute on the html element sets the default language for the entire page.

In practice

Add the lang attribute to the html element: <html lang="en"> for English, <html lang="fr"> for French, <html lang="de"> for German, and so on.

For British English specifically, use lang="en-GB". For American English, use lang="en-US".

Use the correct BCP 47 language tag. A full list is available from the IANA Language Subtag Registry.

Common failures

  • HTML page with no lang attribute on the html element
  • Page where lang is set to the wrong language
  • Page generated by a CMS that omits the lang attribute
2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum)3.1.2 Language of Parts

AXS Audit

AXS Audit checks your site against 3.1.1 and flags issues your team can act on straight away. It covers criteria that automated scanners often miss.

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