3.1.4: Abbreviations

What it means

When abbreviations and acronyms first appear, expand them or link to a definition — unless the shortened form is a proper name or is defined in context. AAA requires this consistently.

SR for screen reader is unclear without expansion.

How to fix it

• Expand acronyms on first use (for example “Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)”).
• Use abbr with title or a glossary link for repeated shortened forms.
• Do not assume visitors know industry shorthand.
• Keep expansions visible, not only in hover tooltips.

Quick examples

• Good: First mention reads “Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA)”.
• Bad: PDF appears fifty times with no explanation it means Portable Document Format.
• Good: A glossary page defines org-specific acronyms linked from articles.
• Bad: FAQ answers use unexplained TLAs throughout.