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abbr with title Screen reader compatibility

HTML WCAG
Sep 11, 2022

Expected Result: works in a screen reader

Actual Result: causes problems in 70 screen reader / browser combinations

Note: some screen readers have speech dictionaries mapping common abbreviations to their spoken equivalents. For example, "etc" is usually mapped to "et cetera" when spoken in NVDA and JAWS. This can give the impression the `abbr title` attribute is being spoken when in fact the speech dictionary is being used. JAWS has an 'Expand Abbreviations' setting which does read `abbr title`, but this is turned off by default and these tests use default AT settings.

WCAG Technique: H28

Code used for this test:


		<p><abbr title='Three Letter Acronym'>TLN</abbr></p>

Reliability Trend

This graph shows reliability over time for this code in NVDA, JAWS and Voiceover. Other screen readers don't have enough historical data yet to plot trends.

100%80%60%40%20%0%20150%20160%20170%20180%20190%20200%20210%20220%

Change History

Last updated: September 11, 2022

  • Bad NVDA with Chrome Causes problems from NVDA 2018.4 to NVDA 2022.2
  • Bad NVDA with IE Causes problems from NVDA 2014.1 to NVDA 2019.2
  • Bad NVDA with FF Causes problems from NVDA 2014.1 to NVDA 2022.2
  • Bad JAWS with Chrome Causes problems from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2022.2207.25
  • Bad JAWS with IE Causes problems from JAWS 13.0.852 to JAWS 2019.1912.1
  • Bad JAWS with FF Causes problems from JAWS 13.0.852 to JAWS 2022.2207.25
  • Bad VoiceOver macOS Causes problems from VoiceOver macOS 10.9 to VoiceOver macOS 12.5
  • Bad VoiceOver iOS Causes problems from VoiceOver iOS 7.1 to VoiceOver iOS 15.6
  • Bad Dolphin with IE Causes problems in Dolphin SR 15.05
  • Bad SaToGo with IE Causes problems in SaToGo 3.4.96.0
Screen readerBrowserModeNotesWhat the user hears
Fail NVDA 2022.2Chrome 105 Reading ABBR expansion ignored in screen reader, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail NVDA 2022.2FF102 Reading ABBR expansion ignored in screen reader, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail NVDA 2022.2Edge 105 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail NVDA 2021.2Chrome 94 Reading ABBR expansion ignored in screen reader, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail NVDA 2021.2FF91 Reading ABBR expansion ignored in screen reader, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail NVDA 2021.2Edge 94 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail NVDA 2020.2Chrome 86 Reading ABBR expansion ignored in screen reader, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail NVDA 2020.2FF78 Reading ABBR expansion ignored in screen reader, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail NVDA 2020.2Edge 92 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail NVDA 2019.2Chrome 79 Reading ABBR expansion ignored in screen reader, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail NVDA 2019.2FF68 Reading ABBR expansion ignored in screen reader, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail NVDA 2019.2IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail NVDA 2018.4Chrome 73 Reading ABBR expansion ignored in screen reader, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail NVDA 2018.4FF60 Reading ABBR expansion ignored in screen reader, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail NVDA 2018.4IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail NVDA 2017.3FF60 Reading ABBR expansion ignored in screen reader, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail NVDA 2017.3IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail NVDA 2016.2FF48 Reading ABBR expansion ignored in screen reader, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail NVDA 2016.2IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail NVDA 2015.2FF40 Reading ABBR expansion ignored in screen reader, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail NVDA 2015.2IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail NVDA 2014.1FF28 Reading ABBR expansion ignored in screen reader, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail NVDA 2014.1IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail JAWS 2022.2207.25Chrome 105 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 2022.2207.25FF102 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 2022.2207.25Edge 105 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings. T L N
Fail JAWS 2021.2107.12Chrome 94 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 2021.2107.12FF91 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 2021.2107.12Edge 94 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings. T L N
Fail JAWS 2020.2008.24Chrome 86 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 2020.2008.24FF78 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 2020.2008.24Edge 92 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings. T L N
Fail JAWS 2019.1912.1Chrome 79 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 2019.1912.1FF68 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 2019.1912.1IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings. T L N
Fail JAWS 2018.1811.2Chrome 73 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 2018.1811.2FF60 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 2018.1811.2IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings. T L N
Fail JAWS 18.0.5038FF52 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 18.0.5038IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings. T L N
Fail JAWS 17.0.2619FF48 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 17.0.2619IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings. T L N
Fail JAWS 16.0.4350FF40 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 16.0.4350IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings. T L N
Fail JAWS 15.0.9023FF29 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 15.0.9023IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings. T L N
Fail JAWS 14.0.9002FF29 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 14.0.9002IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings. T L N
Fail JAWS 13.0.852FF29 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings, available to sighted users as dotted underline tooltip links in browser. T L N
Fail JAWS 13.0.852IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored using default JAWS settings. T L N
Fail VoiceOver macOS 12.5Safari 15.6 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver macOS 11.5Safari 15.0 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.15Safari 14.1 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.14Safari 13.0 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.13Safari 12.1 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.12Safari 10.1.2 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.11Safari 9.1.2 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.10Safari 8.0.6 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver macOS 10.9Safari 7.0.3 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver iOS 15.6Safari iOS 15.6TouchABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver iOS 14.7Safari iOS 14.7TouchABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver iOS 13.3Safari iOS 13.3TouchABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver iOS 12.4Safari iOS 12.4TouchABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver iOS 11.4Safari iOS 11.4TouchABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver iOS 10.3Safari iOS 10.3TouchABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver iOS 9.1Safari iOS 9.1TouchABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver iOS 8.4Safari iOS 8.4TouchABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail VoiceOver iOS 7.1Safari iOS 7.1TouchABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail Dolphin SR 15.05IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N
Fail SaToGo 3.4.96.0IE11 Reading ABBR expansion ignored. T L N

SortSite rules: AccWcag1-4.2.1

Test notes

All tests were carried out with screen reader factory settings. JAWS in particular has a wide variety of settings controlling exactly what gets spoken.

Screen readers allow users to interact in different modes, and can produce very different results in each mode. The modes used in these tests are:

  • Reading Content read using the “read next” command in a screen reader
  • Tabbing Content read using the “tab” key in a screen reader
  • Heading Content read using the “next heading” key in a screen reader
  • Touch Content read when touching an area of screen on a mobile device

In the “What the user hears” column:

  • Commas represent short pauses in screen reader voicing
  • Full Stops represent places where voicing stops, and the “read next” or “tab” or “next heading” command is pressed again
  • Ellipsis … represent a long pause in voicing
  • (Brackets) represent voicing that requires a keystroke to hear