3.1.6 Pronunciation

A mechanism is available for identifying the specific pronunciation of words where meaning is ambiguous without knowing the pronunciation.

Last reviewed: September 9, 2026

Understanding 3.1.6

Some words are spelled identically but pronounced differently depending on meaning (heteronyms), such as "read" (present vs. past tense) or "lead" (the metal vs. to guide). Screen readers frequently guess wrong on these words, and sighted readers unfamiliar with a term can also be unsure how to say it. This criterion helps screen reader users and language learners resolve the ambiguity by requiring a way to determine the intended pronunciation.

How to Meet It

Where a word's meaning depends on pronunciation and context alone doesn't resolve the ambiguity, provide a mechanism to disambiguate it: a phonetic respelling or IPA transcription immediately following the word, an audio clip of the correct pronunciation, or a glossary entry linked from the word that states how it should be said.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't screen readers just get pronunciation right on their own?

Text-to-speech engines use statistical and rule-based models that often guess wrong on heteronyms and unfamiliar proper nouns, since the correct pronunciation depends on meaning the engine can't reliably infer from spelling alone. Author-supplied pronunciation cues resolve cases where that ambiguity affects understanding.

Related Success Criteria

3.1.1 Language of Page 3.1.2 Language of Parts 3.1.3 Unusual Words 3.1.4 Abbreviations

Quick Facts

Criterion3.1.6
LevelAAA
IntroducedWCAG 2.0

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