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How screen readers read special characters: an update

Written by Sophie Ragas on 17 March 2023 (Average reading time: 27 minutes)

Screen readers interpret what is on the screen. They can read most text easily and accurately, but how do they handle special punctuation and characters? Let's find out!

A pile of wooden letters

Blind people rely on screen readers to tell them what is on the screen. This works well for regular text, but how they render other types of content is sometimes harder to predict. This is why Deque did research on how screen readers pronounce special characters, abbreviations, dates, and telephone numbers: Why Don’t Screen Readers Always Read What’s on the Screen? Part 1: Punctuation and Typographic Symbols.

Since the initial publication in 2014, there have been numerous updates to operating systems, browsers, and screen readers. To provide up-to-date information, we re-run the test using the latest versions of screen readers, and the 3 most used screen readers and browsers combinations according to the last Webaim Survey on screen reader usage.

The goal was to determine which characters are safe or unsafe to use in 2023, and if any regression has occurred in how screen readers pronounce special characters since 2014.

The testing environment

Test page

We used exactly the same table as Deque for testing, in order to facilitate the comparison.

The HTML page to test was marked as English to get consistent results with all screen readers. Screen readers were set to an English voice.

Like Deque, we performed the test with both the special character alone (by itself) and within a sentence (in context).

Assistive technologies

The speech verbosity settings, which affect how much punctuation is pronounced by the screen reader, were reset to the factory default, because this is the most frequent user setting.

The browser and screen reader combinations were:

  • Safari 16.3 and VoiceOver on macOS Monterey 12.6.3
    • Default speech verbosity: medium
    • Punctuation: some
    • Voice: Daniel
  • Chrome (version 110.0.5481.178) and NVDA (version 2022.4.0022.4.0.27401) on Windows 10
    • Punctuation/symbols level: some
    • Voice: Microsoft Zira Desktop (English United States)
  • Chrome (version 110.0.5481.178) and JAWS (version 2023.2302.15) on Windows 10
    • Web verbosity level: medium
    • Voice: Eloquence (factory)

We did not test with mobile screen readers. If you want to do this, or want to test the support for another screen reader, feel free to use our HTML page to test.

Differences between reading and table mode

Both NVDA and JAWS have two primary modes for viewing and interacting with data: reading mode and table mode. Table mode allows users to navigate and interact with tables in a document and both screen readers convey the structure of the table and identify columns, rows, and cells. Users will be able to navigate in the table using their keyboard, move between cells and rows, and read the contents of each cell. Reading mode reads what is on the screen, in the order that it appears. In this mode, the presence of a table will be announced, but its structure will not be read out.

We noted some differences between reading mode and table mode. In two cases, this led to differences in NVDA:

  • ¡ (inverted exclamation mark, typed as ¡)
  • ¿ (inverted question mark, typed as ¿)

Although Deque tested screen reader support in table mode in 2014, we decided to perform the test in reading mode, because the special characters will most of the time be used outside of tables. The testing environment, with the characters placed inside a table, should not interfere with the results.

The test conclusion

The full table of how each screen reader reads each character can be found at the end of this article.

Safe characters in 2023

The following characters are read by all screen readers in 2023, both in context and by themselves.

  • @ (the at symbol)
  • & (ampersand, written either as & or && in the markup)
  • / (slash)
  • © (copyright, written as ©)
  • ® (registered, written as ®)
  • ™ (trademark, written as ™)
  • • (bullet, written as •)
  • $ (dollar)
  • € (Euro, written as €)
  • £ (British pound, written as £)
  • ¥ (Yen, written as ¥)
  • % (percent)
  • ½ (one half, written as ½)
  • ¼ (one fourth, written as ¼)
  • ¾ (three fourths, written as ¾)
  • ° (degrees, written as °)
  • # (pound sign)
  • ^ (caret)
  • `* (asterisk)
  • † (dagger, written as †)
  • ‡ (double dagger, written as ‡)
  • → (right arrow, written as →)
  • ← (left arrow, written as ←)
  • ↑ (up arrow, written as ↑)
  • ↓ (down arrow, written as ↓)
  • ↔ (horizontal arrow, written as ↔)
  • ⇐ (left double arrow, written as ⇐)
  • ⇒ (right double arrow, written as ⇒)
  • ⇑ (up double arrow, written as ⇑)
  • ⇓ (down double arrow, written as ⇓)
  • ♠ (spades, written as ♠)
  • ♣ (clubs, written as ♣)
  • ♥ (hearts, written as ♥)
  • ♦ (diamonds, written as ♦)
  • `+ (plus)
  • − (minus, written as −)
  • ± (plus or minus, written as ±)
  • ÷ (divided by, written as ÷)
  • × (multiplied by, written as ×)
  • = (equals)
  • ≠ (not equals, written as ≠)
  • ≈ (approximately equals, written as ≈)
  • ‰ (per mil, written as ‰)
  • < (less than, written as &lt;)
  • > (greater than, written as &gt;)
  • ≤ (less than or equal to, written as &le;)
  • ≥ (greater than or equal to, written as &ge;)
  • ′ (prime, written as &prime;)
  • ″ (double prime, written as &Prime;)
  • ∑ (sum, written as &sum;)

Unread characters in 2023

These characters are not correctly read by at least one screen reader in 2023:

  • ~ (tilde)
  • ‘ (backtick)
  • ! (exclamation mark)
  • ¡ (inverted exclamation mark, written as &iexcl;)
  • ( (left parenthesis)
  • ) (right parenthesis)
  • – (dash)
  • — (m dash, written as &mdash;)
  • – (n dash, written as &ndash;)
  • _ (underscore)
  • , (comma)
  • . (period)
  • ... (pseudo ellipses, three periods)
  • … (ellipsis, written as &#8230;)
  • \ (backslash)
  • | (vertical bar)
  • ? (question mark)
  • ¿ (inverted question mark, written as &iquest;)
  • ; (semi-colon)
  • : (colon)
  • ” (quotation mark)
  • " (quotation mark, written as &quot;)
  • “ (left double quotation mark, written as &ldquo;)
  • ” (right double quotation mark, written as &rdquo;)
  • « (left double angle bracket, written as &laquo;)
  • » (right double angle bracket, written as &raquo;)
  • ‹ (left single angle bracket, written as &#8249;)
  • › (right single angle bracket, written as &#8250;)
  • ‘ (single quote, or apostrophe)
  • ’ (right single quote, written as &rsquo;)
  • ‘ (left single quote, written as &lsquo;)
  • { (left brace)
  • } (right brace)
  • [ (left bracket)
  • ] (right bracket)
  • § (section, written as &sect;)
  • ¶ (paragraph, written as &para;)
  • · (small bullet, written as &middot;)
  • ⇔ (horizontal double arrow, written as &hArr;)
  • µ (microns, written as &micro;)

Notable improvements since 2014

In their test, Deque discovered that JAWS pronounced five characters incorrectly, reading out a different character in those cases. In our test, those bugs were fixed:

  • The minus sign ( - ) is now read out as “minus” in mathematical context. In 2014 JAWS read this as “dash”.
  • The less than or equal sign ( ≤ ) is now read out as “less than or equal to” in mathematical context. In 2014 JAWS read it as “equal”.
  • The greater than or equal sign ( ≥ ) is now read out as “greater than or equal to” in mathematical context. In 2014 JAWS read it as “equal”.
  • The approximately (or almost) equals sign ( ≈ ) is now read out as “almost equal to”. In 2014 JAWS read this as “tilde”.
  • The not equal sign ( ≠ ) is now read as “not equal”. In 2014 JAWS read this out as “question mark”.

We did not discover new bugs.

The other conclusion in their findings was that NVDA was the least verbose screen reader, which still holds true. But NVDA has improved a lot, even if some characters are still only read out when by themselves or in context.

Many of the characters that were unsafe in 2014 are now read by all three screen readers.

Regressions since 2014

A few things got worse since 2014, for instance, the ¶ (paragraph, written as &para;) symbol is no longer read by NVDA. The € (Euro symbol, written as &#8364;) is now read as “euro sign twenty one” by JAWS.

Takeaway

The overall lesson to be learned from this thorough test of the support currently offered by the most widely used screen readers for special characters is that it is essential to:

  1. Test your content with multiple screen readers
  2. Use special characters only when there is a need for them
  3. Pay attention when copying text from a word processor to an HTML file or the CMS of your website. Some word processors and text editors convert characters automatically (eg. three periods to an ellipisis). When possible, always use the HTML entity.
  4. Track the evolution of HTML support by assistive tools

At Eleven Ways, we make sure to include the test with up-to-date assistive tools in the protocol for verifying the accessibility of sites and apps, in addition to the automated test and the semi-automated test. Contact us for an in-depth audit of your site or app.

Full test results

Grammatical Punctuation Marks

Symbol The character by itself In Context JAWS NVDA VoiceOver
tilde ~ https:// www.website.com/ ~user

By itself: “tilde”

In context: yes

“H T T P S colon slash slash double you double you double dot website dot com slash tilde user”

By itself: no

In context: no

“H T T P S slash slash double you double you double you dot website dot com slash user”

(NVDA does NOT mention the tilde or the colon.)

By itself: “tilde”

In context: yes;

“H T T P S slash slash double you double you double you dot website dot com slash tilde user”

(VoiceOver reads the tilde, but not the colon)

backtick mark ` &id=`1`

By itself: “grave”, the “a” is pronounced with an “ah” sound, like the “a” in “bravo”

In context: yes

“and I D equals grave one grave”

By itself: no

In context: no

“and I D equals one” (NVDA does NOT pronounce the tick mark)

By itself: “accent”

In context: “and I D equals one”.

exclamation mark !

This is exciting!

This is exciting.

By itself: “exclaim”

In context: no

JAWS does not change voice inflection at all.

By itself: no

In context: no

NVDA changes the inflection very slightly (almost imperceptibly) when there is an exclamation mark at the end of a sentence.

By itself: “exclaimation mark”

In context: no

VoiceOver does not change voice inflection at all when a sentence ends in an exclamation mark.

inverted exclamation mark, typed as &iexcl; ¡

Intersante. ¡Ay caramba¡

Intersante. Ay caramba.

By itself: “inverted exclaim”

In context: no

In the sentence, JAWS does not change the inflection or the inverted exclamation mark at the beginning.

By itself: "inverted exlcamation point"

In context: no

NVDA reads the exclamation with a different inflection, and does mention the inverted exclamation mark at the beginning when in reading mode (but not in table mode)

By itself: “inverted exclamation mark”

In context: yes

VoiceOver does NOT change voice inflection. (It also does NOT change language, even though lang=”es” is added to the td tag.

at symbol @ I have a message for @paul

By itself: “at”

In context: yes

“I have a message for at Paul”

By itself: “at”

In context: yes

“I have a message for at Paul”

By itself: “at”

In context: yes

“I have a message for at Paul”

pound/hash/number sign # I live at apartment #40

By itself: “number”

In context: yes

I live at apartment number 40

By itself: "number"

In context:

“I live at apartment number 40”

By itself: “number”

In context: yes

I live at apartment number 40”

caret ^ This is ^not the worst I’ve seen

By itself: “caret”

In context: yes

“This is caret not the worst I’ve seen”

By itself: "caret"

In context: yes

“This is caret not the worst I’ve seen

By itself: “caret”

In context: yes

“This is caret not the worst I’ve seen”

ampersand, typed as &amp; &

M&Ms

BB&T

black & white

By itself: “and”

In context: yes

“M and M S,”

“B B and T,”

“black and white”

By itself: “and”

In context: yes

“M and M S,”

“B B and T,”

“black and white”

By itself: “and”

In context: yes

“M and M S,”

“B B and T,”

“black and white”

ampersand &

M&Ms

BB&T

black & white

By itself: “and”

In context: yes

“M and M S,”

“B B and T,”

“black and white”

By itself: “and”

In context: yes

“M and M S,”

“B B and T,”

“black and white”

By itself: “and”

In context: yes

“M and M S,”

“B B and T,”

“black and white”

asterisk *

Fields marked with * are required.

Name*

By itself: “star”

In context: yes

“Fields marked with star are required”

“Name star”

By itself: "star"

In context: yes

“Fields marked with star are required”

“Name star”

By itself: “star”

In context:yes

“Fields marked with star are required”

“Name star”

left parenthesis ( I am (understandably) excited.

By itself: “left paren”

In context: yes

“I am left paren understandably right paren excited”

By itself: no

In context: no

NVDA does not say anything, just a short pause.

By itself: “left parenthesis”

In context: no

VoiceOver pauses briefly for the opening and closing parentheses, but does not say anything.

right parenthesis ) I am (understandably) excited.

By itself: “right paren”

In context: yes

“I am left paren understandably right paren excited”

By itself: no

In context: no

NVDA does not say anything, just a short pause.

By itself: “right parenthesis”

In context: no

VoiceOver pauses briefly for the opening and closing parentheses, but does not say anything.

dash (minus/hyphen) -

blue-green.

This is - not unexpectedly - a parenthetical clause.

By itself: “dash”

In context: yes

“blue dash green”

“This is dash not unexpectedly dash a parenthetical clause.”

By itself: no

In context: NVDA does not say anything, nor does it pause; it reads straight through

By itself: “dash”

In context: VoiceOver pauses briefly for each of the dashes, but does not say anything.

m dash, typed as &mdash; This is also—not unexpectedly—a parenthetical clause.

By itself: “m dash”

In context: “This is also m dash not unexpectedly m dash a parenthetical clause.”

By itself: no

In context: NVDA does not say anything, nor does it pause; it reads straight through

By itself: “m dash”

In context: VoiceOver does not read the dash, instead pauses briefly.

n dash, typed as &ndash;

This is another – not unexpectedly – parenthetical clause.

This is another–not unexpectedly–parenthetical clause.

By itself: “n dash”

In context: “This is another n dash not unexpectedly n dash parenthetical clause.”

By itself: no

In context: NVDA does not say anything, nor does it pause; it reads straight through

By itself: “n dash”

In context: VoiceOver pauses briefly for each of the dashes, without saying anything, but ONLY IF there are spaces between the words and the dashes. Without spaces, VoiceOver does not pause at all.

underscore _ my_file_name.jpg

By itself: “underline”

In context: “my underline file underline name dot J P G”

By itself: no

In context:

“my file name dot J P G” (NVDA does not say “underline”)

By itself: “underscore”

In context: “my underscore file underscore name dot jaypeg”

comma , The house is green, red, and orange.

By itself: comma

In context: JAWS pauses briefly, but does not say “comma”

By itself: no

In context: NVDA pauses briefly, but does not say “comma”

By itself: “comma”

In context: VoiceOver pauses briefly, but does not say “comma”

period . I like cheese.

By itself: “period”

In context: JAWS pauses, but does not say “period”

By itself: “dot”

In context: NVDA pauses, but does not say “period”

By itself: “period”

In context: VoiceOver pauses, but does not say “period”

three periods (pseudo ellipsis) ... This sentence trails off… And here is another sentence.

By itself: “dotdotdot”

In context: “This sentence trails off and here is another sentence”. JAWS pauses briefly at the spot of the ellipsis.

By itself: no

In context: NVDA pauses briefly, but does not read the periods

By itself: "dot"

In context: VoiceOver does not read the character but it does pause longer than normal.

ellipses typed as &#8230; This sentence trails off… And here is another sentence.

By itself: “ellipses”

In context: JAWS does not say “ellipses,” but it does pause longer than normal.

By itself: no

In context: NVDA pauses briefly, but does not read the ellipses

By itself: “ellipses”

In context: VoiceOver does not say “ellipses,” but it does pause longer than normal.

forward slash /

home/products/widgets

Give him/her a prize.

https://www.deque.com

By itself: “slash”

In context:

“home slash products slash widgets”

“Give him slash her a prize”

H T T P S slash slash double you double you double you dot deque dot com”

By itself: “slash”

In context:

“home slash products slash widgets”

“Give him slash her a prize”

“H T T P S colon slash slash double you double you double you dot deque dot com”

By itself: “slash”

In context:

“home slash products slash widgets”

“Give him slash her a prize”

H T T P S colon slash slash double you double you double you dot deque dot com”

backslash \ c:\folder\file.docx

By itself: “backslash”

In context: “c colon backslash folder backslash file dot docx”

By itself: no

In context: no. NVDA reads the words without a pause in between.

By itself: “backslash”

In context: “c backslash folder backslash file docx”

vertical bar | Products | Our web site

By itself: “vertical bar”

In context: “Products vertical bar our web site”

By itself: no

In context: no. NVDA reads the words without a pause.

By itself: "vertical line"

In context: “Products vertical line our web site”

question mark ?

What do you mean?

Are you angry??

Are you still angry?!?

By itself: “question?”

In context:

JAWS changes the voice inflection of the last word in a sentence if the sentence ends in a question mark, to make it sound like someone asking a question.

Two question marks, or question marks mixed with exclamation marks are read the same as a single question mark.

By itself: no

In context:

NVDA changes the voice inflection of the last word in a sentence if the sentence ends in a question mark, to make it sound like someone is asking a question

Two question marks, or question marks mixed with exclamation marks are read the same as a single question mark.

By itself: “question mark”

In context:

VoiceOver changes the voice inflection of the last word in a sentence if the sentence ends in a question mark, to make it sound like someone asking a question.

Two question marks, or question marks mixed with exclamation marks are read the same as a single question mark.

inverted question mark, typed as &iquest; ¿ No estoy seguro. ¿Quién soy?

No estoy seguro. Quién soy.

By itself: “inverted question”

In context: JAWS does not change the inflection for the question, and does not mention the inverted question mark at the beginning.

By itself: "inverted question mark"

In context: NVDA does mention the inverted question mark at the beginning of the sentence in reading mode (but not in table mode).

By itself: “inverted question mark”

In context: VoiceOver does NOT change inflection (and it ignores the lang=”es” set on the td tag)

semi-colon ; The sentence paused; but not for long.

By itself: “semi-colon”

In context: “The sentence paused semi-colon but not for long”

By itself: no

In context: NVDA pauses briefly, but does NOT read the semi-colon

By itself: “semi-colon”

In context: VoiceOver pauses briefly, but does NOT say “semi-colon”

colon : Gaseous: having the properties of a gas.

https://www.deque.com

By itself: “colon”

In context:

“Gaseous colon having the properties of a gas”

“H T T P colon slash slash deque dot com”

By itself: no

In context: NVDA pauses briefly, but does NOT read the colon

By itself: “colon”

In context: “H T T P S colon slash slash double you double you double dot deque dot com”

double quotation mark I feel “fine,” she said, sarcastically.

By itself: “left quote”

In context: “I feel left quote fine right quote she said sarcastically”

By itself: no

In context: NVDA does not read the character.

By itself: “left double quotation mark”

In context: VoiceOver pauses briefly but does NOT read the character.

double quotation mark, typed as &quot; " I feel "fine," she said, sarcastically.

By itself: “quote”

In context: “I feel quote fine quote she said sarcastically”

By itself: no

In context: NVDA does not read out the character.

By itself: “quotation mark”

In context: VoiceOver pauses briefly but does read the character.

right double quotation mark I feel “fine,” she said, sarcastically.

By itself: “right quote”

In context: “I feel left quote fine right quote she said sarcastically”

By itself: no

In context: “I feel fine, she said, sarcastically”

By itself: “right double quotation mark”

In context: VoiceOver pauses briefly but does NOT read the character.

left double quotation mark I feel “fine,” she said, sarcastically.

By itself: “left quote”

In context: “I feel left quote fine right quote she said sarcastically”

By itself: no

In context: “I feel fine, she said, sarcastically”

By itself: “left double quotation mark”

In context: VoiceOver pauses briefly but does NOT read out the character.

left double angle bracket, typed as &laquot; « This is a «word» surrounded by angle brackets.

By itself: “left double angle bracket”

In context: “This is a left double angle bracket word right double angle bracket surrounded by angle brackets”

By itself: "double left pointing angle bracket"

In context: “This is a double left pointing angle bracket word double right pointing angle bracket surrounded by angle brackets”

By itself: “left pointing double arrow”

In context: VoiceOver pauses briefly, but does not pronounce the angle bracket.

right double angle bracket, typed as &raquot; » Home » Products

By itself: "right double angle bracket"

In context: "Home double angle bracket products"

By itself: "double right pointing angle bracket"

In context: "Home double right pointing angle bracket products"

By itself: "right pointing double arrow"

In context: VoiceOver does not pronounce the angle bracket.

‹ (written as &#8249;) This is a ‹word› surrounded by angle brackets. By itself: "single left pointing angle quotation mark"

In context: "This is a single left pointing angle quotation mark word single right pointing angle quotation mark surrounded by angle brackets"

By itself: no

In context: "This is a word surrounded by angle brackets"

By itself: "angle quotation mark"

In context: VoiceOver pauses briefly, but does not pronounce the angle bracket.

› (written as &#8250;) Home › Products By itself: single right pointing angle quotation mark

In context: "Home single right pointing angle quotation mark products"

By itself: no

In context: "Home products"

By itself: "angle quotation mark"

In context: VoiceOver pauses briefly, but does not pronounce the angle bracket.

single quotation mark, or apostrophe

Don’t rock the boat.

This is Mary’s.

This is a ‘quotation’ of sorts.

By itself: "apostrophe"

In context:

"Don’t rock the boat"

"This is Mary’s"

"This is a apostrophe quotation apostrophe of sorts"

By itself: no

In context:

"Don’t rock the boat"

"This is Mary’s"

"This is a quotation of sorts" (NVDA does not pause or read the character here)

By itself: "apostrophe"

In context:

"Don’t rock the boat"

"This is Mary’s"

"This is a quotation of sorts" (VoiceOver pauses briefly, but does NOT say "apostrophe" here)

 

right single quotation mark, or right apostrophe, typed as &rsquo;

Don’t rock the boat.

This is Mary’s

This is a ‘quotation’ of sorts.

By itself: "apostrophe"

In context:

"Don’t rock the boat"

"This is Mary’s"

"This is a apostrophe quotation apostrophe of sorts"

By itself: no

In context:

"Don’t rock the boat"

"This is Mary’s"

"This is a quotation of sorts" (NVDA does not read the character)

By itself: "right single quotation mark"

In context:

"Don’t rock the boat"

"This is Mary’s"

"This is a quotation of sorts" (VoiceOver pauses briefly, but does NOT say read the character)

left single quotation mark, or left apostrophe, typed as &lsquo; This is a ‘quotation’ of sorts.

By itself: "apostrophe"

In context: "This is a apostrophe quotation apostrophe of sorts"

By itself: no

In context: "This is a quotation of sorts" (NVDA does not read out the character)

By itself: "left single quotation mark"

In context: "This is a quotation of sorts"

(VoiceOver pauses briefly, but does NOT read out the character)

left brace { You should {brace} yourself.

By itself: "left brace"

In context: "You should left brace brace right brace yourself"

By itself: no

In context: "You should brace yourself" (NVDA does not read out the character)

“By itself: "left curly bracket"

In context: "You should left curly bracket brace right curly bracket yourself"

right brace } You should {brace} yourself.

By itself: "right brace"

In context: "You should left brace brace right brace yourself"

By itself: no

In context: "You should brace yourself" (NVDA does not read out the character)

By itself: "right curly bracket"

In context: "You should left curly bracket brace right curly bracket yourself"

left bracket [ You should [bracket] your words.

By itself: "left bracket"

In context: "You should left bracket bracket right bracket your words"

By itself: no

In context: "You should left bracket bracket right bracket your words"

By itself: "left bracket"

In context: "You should bracket your words" (VoiceOver pauses briefly, but does NOT read out the character)

right bracket ] You should [bracket] your words.

By itself: "right bracket"

In context: "You should left bracket bracket right bracket your words"

By itself: no

In context: "You should left bracket bracket right bracket your words"

By itself: "right bracket"

In context: "You should bracket your words" (VoiceOver pauses briefly, but does NOT read out the character)

Typographical symbols

Symbol The character by itself In Context JAWS NVDA VoiceOver
copyright, written as &copy; © This content © Deque.

By itself: "copyright"

In context: "This content copyright Deque"

By itself: "copyright"

In context: "This content copyright Deque"

By itself: "copyright sign"

In context: "This content copyright sign Deque"

registered trademark symbol, written as &reg; ® Spam®

By itself: "registered"

In context: "Spam registered"

By itself: "registered"

In context: "Spam registered"

By itself: "registered sign"

In context: "Spam registered sign"

trademark symbol, TM, written as &trade; Fits like a glove™

By itself: "trademark"

In context: "Fits like a glove trademark"

By itself: "trademark"

In context: "Fits like a glove trademark"

By itself: "trademark"

In context: "Fits like a glove trademark". The words "glove" and "trademark" follow each other up rather quickly and the tone/pitch changes when VoiceOver reads trademark.

section, written as &sect; § Be sure to read §24.1.

By itself: "section"

In context: "Be sure to read section twenty four point one"

By itself: no

In context: "Be sure to read twenty four point one" (NVDA does NOT read the section symbol)

By itself: "section symbol"

In context: "Be sure to read section symbol two four point one"

paragraph symbol, written as &para; Have you seen ¶3 on page 3?

By itself: "paragraph"

In context: "Have you seen paragraph three on page three?"

By itself: no

In context: no, "Have you seen three on page three?"

By itself: I think VoiceOver says “pilcrow” but it is really hard to understand.

In context: "Have you seen pilcrow three on page three?"

small bullet, written as &middot; · · A phrase · and another phrase

By itself: "dot"

In context: "dot a phrase dot and another phrase"

By itself: no

In context: "A phrase and another phrase" (NVDA does NOT read the small bullet)

By itself: "middle dot"

In context: the first dot is announced in a unintelligble way. The second dot does not get announced, VoiceOver pauses there briefly

medium bullet, written as &#8226; • A phrase • and another phrase

By itself: "bullet"

In context: "bullet a phrase bullet and another phrase"

By itself: "bullet"

In context: "Bullet a 2phrase bullet and another phrase"

By itself: "bullet"

In context: "Bullet a phrase bullet and another phrase"

dagger, written as &dagger; Read the footnote†

By itself: "single dagger"

In context: "Read the footnote single dagger"

By itself: "dagger"

In context: "Read the footnote dagger"

By itself: "dagger"

In context: "Read the footnote dagger"

double dagger, written as &Dagger; Read the other footnote‡

By itself: "double dagger"

In context: "Read the other footnote double dagger"

By itself: "double dagger"

In context: "Read the other footnote double dagger"

By itself: "double dagger"

In context: "Read the other footnote double dagger"

right arrow, written as &rarr; Press the → key

By itself: "rightwards arrow"

In context: "Press the rightwards arrow key"

By itself: "right arrow"

In context: "Press the right arrow key"

By itself: "right arrow"

In context: "Press the right arrow key"

left arrow, written as &lrarr; Press the ← key

By itself: "leftwards arrow"

In context: "Press the leftwards arrow key"

By itself: "left arrow"

In context: "Press the left arrow key"

By itself: "left arrow"

In context: "Press the left arrow key"

up arrow, written as &uarr; Press the ↑ key

By itself: "upwards arrow"

In context: "Press the upwards arrow key"

By itself: "up arrow"

In context: "Press the up arrow key"

By itself: "up arrow"

In context: "Press the up arrow key"

down arrow, written as &darr; Press the ↓ key

By itself: "downwards arrow"

In context: "Press the downwards arrow key"

By itself: "down arrow"

In context: "Press the down arrow key"

By itself: "down arrow"

In context: "Press the down arrow key"

horizontal arrow, written as &harr; Move ↔ horizontally.

By itself: "left right arrow"

In context: "Move left right arrow horizontally"

By itself: "left right arrow"

In context: "Move left right arrow horizontally"

By itself: "left right arrow"

In context: "Move left right arrow horizontally"

double right arrow, written as &rArr; Look over there ⇒ at that shark.

By itself: "rightwards double arrow"

In context: "Look over there rightwards double arrow at that shark"

By itself: "double right arrow"

In context: "Look over there double right arrow at that shark"

By itself: "rightwards double arrow"

In context: "Look over there rightwards double arrow at that shark"

double left arrow, written as &lAarr; Look over there ⇐ at that dolphin.

By itself: "leftwards triple arrow"

In context: "Look over there leftwards triple arrow at that dolphin"

By itself: "leftwards double arrow"

In context: "Look over there leftwards double arrow at that dolphin"

By itself: "leftwards double arrow"

In context: "Look over there leftwards double arrow at that dolphin"

double up arrow, written as &uArr; Look up there ⇑ at that platypus.

By itself: "upwards double arrow"

In context: "Look up there upwards double arrow at that platypus"

By itself: "upwards double arrow"

In context: "Look up there upwards double arrow at that platypus"

By itself: "upwards double arrow"

In context: "Look over there upwards double arrow at that platypus"

double down arrow, written as &dArr; Look down there ⇓ at that echidna.

By itself: "downwards double arrow"

In context: "Look down there downwards double arrow at that echidna"

By itself: "downwards double arrow"

In context: "Look down there downwards double arrow at that echidna"

By itself: "downwards double arrow"

In context: "Look over there downwards double arrow at that echidna"

double horizontal arrow, written as &hArr; I’m ⇔ confused.

By itself: "left right double arrow"

In context: "I’m left right double arrow confused"

By itself: "left right double arrow"

In context: "I’m left right double arrow confused"

By itself: "left right double arrow"

In context: Voiceover does NOT read the double arrow, and does NOT pause.

playing cards: spades, written as &spades; Let’s call a ♠ a ♠.

By itself: "black spades suit"

In context: "Let’s call a black spades suit a black spades suit"

By itself: "spades suit"

In context: "Let’s call a spades suit a spade suit"

By itself: "black spades cards suit"

In context: "Let’s call a black spades cards suit a black spades cards suit"

playing cards: clubs, written as &clubs; I found a ♣. Today is my lucky day.

By itself: "black club suit"

In context: "I found a black club suit. Today is my lucky day"

By itself: "club suit"

In context: "I found a club suit. Today is my lucky day"

By itself: "black clubs cards suit"

In context: "I found a black clubs cards suit. Today is my lucky day"

playing cards: hearts, written as &hearts; I ♥ you.

By itself: "black heart suit"

In context: "I black heart suit you?"

By itself: yes ("hearts suit")

In context: "I hearts suit you"

By itself: "red hearts cards suit"

In context: "I red hearts cards suit you"

playing cards: diamonds, written as &diams; Someone once said a ♦ is a girl’s best friend.

By itself: "black diamond suit"

In context: "Someone once said a black diamond suit is a girl’s best friend"

By itself: "black diamond"

In context: "Someone once said a black diamond is a girl’s best friend"

By itself: "red diamonds cards suit"

In context: "Someone once said a red diamonds cards suit is a girl’s best friend"

 

Currency

Symbol The character by itself In Context JAWS NVDA VoiceOver
dollar symbol $ $21

By itself: “dollar”

In context: "dollar twenty one"

By itself: "dollar"

In context: "twenty one dollars"

By itself: "Dollar"

In context: "twentyone dollars"

Euro symbol, written as &#8364; €21

By itself: "euro sign"

In context: "euro sign twenty one"

By itself: "euro"

In context: "twenty one euros"

By itself: "Euro two one"

In context: "twentyone euros"

Yen symbol, written as &yen; ¥ ¥500

By itself: "yen"

In context: "Yen five hundred"

By itself: "Yen"

In context: "five hundred Yen"

By itself: "Yen"

In context: "500 yen"

Pound symbol, written as &pound; £ £10

By itself: "pounds"

In context: "ten pounds"

By itself: "Pound"

In context: "ten pounds"

By itself: "Pound"

In context: "10 pounds"

Mathematical Symbols

Symbol The character by itself In Context JAWS NVDA VoiceOver
plus + 5+2

By itself: "plus"

In context: "5 plus 2"

y itself: "plus"

In context: "five plus two"

By itself: "plus"

In context: "five plus two"

minus, written as &minus; 5−2

By itself: "minus"

In context: "5 minus 2"

By itself: "minus"

In context: "five minus two"

By itself: "minus"

In context: "five minus two"

plus or minus, written as &plusmn; ± 5±2

By itself: "plus or minus"

In context: "5 plus or minus 2"

By itself: "plus or minus two"

In context: "five plus or minus two"

By itself: "plus or minus"

In context: "five plus or minus two"

divided by, written as &divide; ÷ 5÷2

By itself: "divided by"

In context: "5 divided by 2"

By itself: "divide by"

In context: "five divide by two"

By itself: "divided by"

In context: "five divided by two"

multiplied by, written as &times; × 5×2

By itself: "times"

In context: "5 times 2"

By itself: "times"

In context: "five times two"

By itself: "times"

In context: "five times two"

equal sign = 5=3+2

By itself: "equals"

In context: "5 equals 3 plus 2"

By itself: "equals"

In context: "five equals three plus two"

By itself: "equals"

In context: "Five equals three plus two"

not equal, written as &ne; 5≠2

By itself: "not equal"

In context: "5 not equal to 2"

By itself: "not equal to"

In context: "five not equal to two"

By itself: "not equals"

In context: "five not equals two"

approximately equal, written as &asymp;

5≈4.999

5 ≈ 4.999

By itself: "almost equal to"

In context: "5 almost equals to 4.999"

By itself: "almost equal to"

In context: "five almost equal to four point nine nine nine"

By itself: "Almost equal to"

In context: "five almost equal to four point nine nine nine"

percent % 5%

By itself: "percent"

In context: "5 percent"

By itself: "percent"

In context: "5 percent"

By itself: "percent"

In context: "five percent"

percent with 2-digit denominator, written as &permil; 5‰

By itself: "per mil"

In context: "five per mil"

By itself: "per mil"

In context: "five per mil"

By itself: "per mil sign"

In context: "five per mil sign"

fraction: half, written as &frac12; ½ ½ cup

By itself: "one half"

In context: "one half cup"

By itself: "one half"

In context: "one half cup"

By itself: "one half"

In context: "one half cup"

fraction: one quarter, written as &frac14; ¼ ¼ liter

By itself: "one fourth"

In context: "one fourth liter"

By itself: "one quarter"

In context: "one quarter liter"

By itself: "one fourth"

In context: "one fourth liter"

fraction: three quarters, written as &frac34; ¾ ¾ kilometer

By itself: "three fourths"

In context: "three fourths kilometer"

By itself: "three quarters"

In context: "three quarters kilometer"

By itself: "three fourth"

In context: "three fourth kilometer"

less than, written as &lt; < 5<6

By itself: "less than"

In context: "5 less than 6"

By itself: "less"

In context: "five less six"

By itself: "less"

In context: "five less than six"

greater than, written as &gt; > 5>4

By itself: "greater"

In context: "5 greater 4"

By itself: "greater"

In context: "five greater four"

By itself: "greater"

In context: "five greater than four"

less than or equal, written as &le; 5≤x

By itself: "less than or equal to"

In context: "5 less then or equal to x"

By itself: "less or equal to"

In context: "five less or equal to x"

By itself: "less than or equal to"

In context: "five less than or equal to x"

greater than or equal, written as &ge; 5≥y

By itself: "greater than or equal to"

In context: "5 greater than or equal to y"

By itself: "greater than or equal to"

In context: "five greater than or equal to y"

By itself: "greater than or equal to"

In context: "five greater than or equal to y"

prime, written as &prime; 1′

By itself: "prime"

In context: "one prime"

By itself: "prime"

In context: "one prime"

By itself: "prime"

In context: "one prime"

double prime, written as &Prime; 1″

By itself: "double prime"

In context: "one double prime"

By itself: "double prime"

In context: "one double prime"

By itself: "double prime"

In context: "one double prime"

degree, written as &deg; ° 90°

By itself: "degrees"

In context: "ninety degrees"

By itself: "degrees"

In context: "ninety degrees"

By itself: "degrees"

In context: "ninety degrees"

sum, written as &sum; ∑i=x+y

By itself: "summation" (prefaced with something that is hard to understand)

In context: "summation i equals x plus y"

By itself: "(prefaced with something that is hard to understand) summation" (prefaced with something that is hard to understand)

In context: "(prefaced with something that is hard to understand) summation i equals x plus y"

By itself: "summation" (prefaced with something that is hard to understand)

In context: "(prefaced with something that is hard to understand) summation i equals x plus y"

microns, written as &micro; µ

By itself: "mu" (sounds like "myoo")

In context: "5 mu"

By itself: "micro"

In context: "five mu"

By itself: "Greek small letter mu" (sounds like "myoo")

In context: VoiceOver does NOT read the character. It simply says “five”

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