How the <abbr> element is defined and exposed, along with the title attribute:

  • § 4.5.9 The abbr element from WHATWG.
  • ARIA in HTML entry on <abbr> notes it has no implicit role and naming is prohibited.
  • Which is probably why Core Accessibility API Mappings 1.2 does not list it.
  • HTML Accessibility API Mappings 1.0 § 3.4.3 abbr notes it has no special exposure in platform AAPIs and § 3.5.135 title defers the attribute to Accessible Name and Description Computation.
  • Accessible Name and Description Computation 1.2 ED § 4.2 Description Computation lists title as the lowest priority for any role.

This broadly tells us what to expect from <abbr title>. But it’s still a bit of guessing game to know how users will actually experience it.

Testing

A black ceramic mug with a handle, except instead of the front of the mug following the general round shape, it extends out almost like a large human nose, and at the top of the mug where the bridge of the nose hits the rim, there are two stubby horizontal wings extending the rim. Why guess when we can test?

Join NASA for a briefing on its zero-G espresso cup, powered by capillary action! 

<p>
Join <abbr title="National Aeronautics and Space Administration">NASA</abbr> for a briefing on its zero-G espresso cup, powered by capillary action!
</p>

Windows 11 23H2

Firefox 121, 150
Default style of dotted underline.
Exposes the title as the name on an element with the generic implicit role.
Does not display title as tool-tip with touch (will expose on long-press after context menu appears, but then tool-tip blocks first item in context menu).
Does not display title as tool-tip with keyboard.
Does not display title as tool-tip with Voice Access unless I use it to control the mouse.
NVDA 2023.3, 2025.3
When using read-all, does not announce title.
When using virtual cursor, does not announce title.
Does not expose title in Braille display.
Chrome 120, 147
Default style of dotted underline.
Exposes the title as the name on an element with the abbr implicit role.
Does not display title as tool-tip with touch.
Does not display title as tool-tip with keyboard.
Does not display title as tool-tip with Voice Access unless I use it to control the mouse.
JAWS 2024.2312.53
When using read-all, does not announce title.
When using virtual cursor, does not announce title.
Does not expose title in Braille display.
JAWS 2026.2603.86
When using read-all, announces title.
When using virtual cursor, announces title.
Exposes title in Braille display when using virtual cursor.
Exposes the entire HTML node, as HTML, in Braille display when using read-all.
Edge 120, 147
Default style of dotted underline.
Exposes the title as the name on an element with the abbr implicit role.
Does not display title as tool-tip with touch.
Does not display title as tool-tip with keyboard.
Does not display title as tool-tip with Voice Access unless I use it to control the mouse.
Narrator / Windows 11 23H2
When using read-all, does not announce title.
When using virtual cursor, announces title and then requires another keypress to announce subsequent visible text.
Narrator / Windows 11 25H2
When using read-all, only announces title.
On second try, when using read-all, announces title followed by “group”, then the visible text.
When using virtual cursor, announces title followed by “group”, then the visible text, and then requires another keypress to announce subsequent visible text.

macOS 14.2.1, 26.2

Safari 17.2.1
No default style.
Exposes the title as the label on an element with no matching role.
Does not display title as tool-tip with keyboard.
Does not display title as name with Voice Control when asking to show names.
VoiceOver
When using read-all, does not announce title.
When using virtual cursor, announces visible text and then title.
Does not expose title in Braille display.
Safari 26.2
Default style of dotted underline.
VoiceOver
When using read-all, announces visible text and then title but does not show in VoiceOver caption box.
When using virtual cursor, announces visible text and then title but does not show in VoiceOver caption box.
Does not expose title in Braille display.

Ubuntu 22.04.2 LTS

Firefox 115
Default style of dotted underline.
Exposes the title as the name on an element with the generic implicit role.
Displays title as tool-tip with touch.
Does not display title as tool-tip with keyboard.
Orca
When using read-all, does not announce title.
When using virtual cursor, does not announce title.

Android 14, 16

Firefox 121, 150
Default style of dotted underline.
Does not display title as tool-tip with touch.
Does not display title as tool-tip with keyboard.
Does not display title as name with Voice Access when asking to show names.
TalkBack 14.1, 16.2
When using read-all, does not announce title but does pause through it.
When swiping through content, does not announce title, but does require additional swipes to get to and past it.
When using explore-by-touch, does not announce title.
Chrome 120, 147
Default style of dotted underline.
Does not display title as tool-tip with touch.
Does not display title as tool-tip with keyboard.
Does not display title as name with Voice Access when asking to show names.
TalkBack 14.1, 16.2
When using read-all, only announces title.
When swiping through content, only announces title.
When using explore-by-touch, only announces title.

iPadOS 17.2, 26.4.2

Safari 17.2, 26.4.2
No default style.
Does not display title as tool-tip with touch.
Does not display title as name with Voice Control when asking to show names.
VoiceOver
When using read-all, does not announce title.
When swiping through content, does not announce title.
When using explore-by-touch, does not announce title.
Safari 17.2, 26.4.2
Default style of dotted underline.

Verdict

Don’t use <abbr>. Also don’t use it with title. Exposure continues to be inconsistent across browsers and assistive technologies. Some set of users will always miss some piece of information.

Explain abbreviations, acronyms, initialisms, numeronyms, etc. on first use and then feel free to fall back to the shortened form. The test sentence might then be:

Join NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) for a briefing on its zero-G espresso cup, powered by capillary action!

Update: 4 May 2026

Joomla is promoting abbreviation buttons in TinyMCE as a way to improve accessibility and screen reader support. As the content of my post shows, this is wrong. I updated the test results anyway.

The differences are that JAWS now announces the title but without the visible text, JAWS will show the raw HTML in its Braille viewer when using read-all, Narrator has different results depending on how many times you try, Narrator also now adds “group” when it announces both, Safari on both iPadOS and macOS added a dotted underline, and macOS VO now announces everything but doesn’t show it in the Braille viewer nor caption box.

My 2024 verdict still stands:

Don’t use <abbr>. Also don’t use it with title. Exposure continues to be inconsistent across browsers and assistive technologies. Some set of users will always miss some piece of information.

Explain abbreviations, acronyms, initialisms, numeronyms, etc. on first use and then feel free to fall back to the shortened form.