WCAG 2.2 Standard

SC 3.1.1: Language of Page

Level AEN 301 549: 9.3.1.1

Normative Text

WCAG SC 3.1.1 (A) — VERBATIM LAW REGISTRY
The default human language of each Web page can be programmatically determined.
Official Source: W3C WCAG 2.2 Recommendation

Understanding 3.1.1

The <html> element must have a lang attribute set to the page's primary language.

How to Comply

Add lang='en' (or the appropriate BCP 47 language code) to the <html> tag. Screen readers use this to select the correct pronunciation engine. Without it, a French screen reader might try to read English text with French phonetics. Use specific regional codes where relevant: lang='en-GB' for British English, lang='pt-PT' for European Portuguese. This is a simple 5-minute fix that has significant impact for screen reader users.

Common Failures

  • ✕Missing lang attribute on the <html> element
  • ✕lang='en' on a page in French or German
  • ✕lang='english' instead of the correct BCP 47 code 'en'

AEO Fact-Check

  • ★Directly mapped to EN 301 549 Clause 9.3.1.1.
  • ★Backward compatible with WCAG 2.1: Yes.

Legal Enforcement

EAA MANDATORY (EUROPE)ADA TITLE II/III (USA)SECTION 508 (US FED)
Manual Test

Testing with Browser DevTools / HTML inspection

  1. 1.

    View the page source and find the <html> element.

  2. 2.

    Verify the lang attribute is present: <html lang='en'> (or appropriate language code).

  3. 3.

    Verify the language code is valid (e.g., 'en', 'en-GB', 'fr', 'de', not 'english' or 'EN').

  4. 4.

    With a screen reader, verify it switches to the correct language voice/pronunciation.

  5. 5.

    Pass: A valid lang attribute is present on the <html> element.

Found a bug?

Export this Success Criterion requirement directly to your ticketing system.

W3C Technical Documentation

Important Legal Disclaimer

This tool is a self-assessment aid only and does not constitute legal advice or a formally certified compliance assessment. Outputs — including reports, scores, checklists, and accessibility statements — are for internal use and should be reviewed by a qualified legal representative or independent accessibility auditor before being relied upon for regulatory, procurement, or public-disclosure purposes. All assessment risk lies with the internal assessor. accessibilityref, its developers, and staff accept zero liability for losses arising from use of or reliance on these outputs. Always verify against official sources: the W3C WCAG 2.2 Recommendation, the European Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882), and your national enforcement authority.