Principle 3 Understandable · Guideline 3.1: Readable
3.1.1 Language of Page
The page language must be declared in code.
What this means in practice
The lang attribute on the html element determines the screen reader’s pronunciation. Missing or wrong, German text is read with English pronunciation – barely comprehensible.
Normative wording
The binding text lives at the W3C. What you read here is our own faithful rendering – not a quotation.