Resource guide
3.1.2 Language of Parts
When content includes words or passages in a different language from the page default, those passages must be marked up with the correct language.
By Calling All Minds·Last updated April 2026
Success criterion
Conformance level
Legal standard — required for EAA compliance.
What it means
A page set to lang="en" that includes a French quotation or a German term will cause screen readers to mispronounce those words using English pronunciation rules.
When a passage uses a different language, wrap it in an element with the appropriate lang attribute so the screen reader switches to the correct pronunciation.
In practice
Wrap foreign-language passages: <span lang="fr">Bienvenue sur notre site</span>.
Single foreign words that have been adopted into English, such as 'cafe' or 'genre', typically do not need marking up. Words that retain their foreign pronunciation do.
Technical terms and proper nouns in a foreign language should be marked up if they would be mispronounced without the language hint.
Common failures
- Long French quotation on an English page with no
lang="fr"attribute - Bilingual page with no language marking on the sections in the secondary language
AXS Audit
AXS Audit checks your site against 3.1.2 and flags issues your team can act on straight away. It covers criteria that automated scanners often miss.