Language

The language of any text content contained within an SVG image should always be set to ensure that assistive technologies render the content properly.

When attached to the root svg element, the xml:lang attribute identifies the default language of any text content in the image.

The xml:lang may also be attached to individual components and text elements within the image to designate that they contain prose in a language other than the default for the image.

Examples

Default language specification

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xml:lang="en">
   …
</svg>

Language override

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xml:lang="en">
   …
   <text … >I think therefore I am...</text>
   <text … xml:lang="fr">Je pense donc je suis...</text>
   <text … xml:lang="it">Penso dunque sono...</text>
   <text … xml:lang="ja"></text>
   …
</svg>

Compliance References and Standards

SVG 1.1 — The 'xml:lang' and 'xml:space' attributes
SVG 1.1 — SVG Content Accessibility Guidelines
WCAG 2.0 — H57: Using language attributes on the html element
WCAG 2.0 — H58: Using language attributes to identify changes in the human language

Additional Resources

Language on the Web
Language tags in HTML and xml
RFC5646 — Tags for Identifying Languages
Mozilla Developer's Network — SVG

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to specify the language when my image is embedded in an XHTML content document with an in-scope language attribute?: Technically no, since the SVG image will inherit the default language that has been specified. It is, however, more prudent to always specify the default language for any encapsulated instances of xml markup, like SVG images and MathML. You will ensure that any text content is rendered properly by assistive technologies regardless of the default context (e.g., in case your image gets rendered in an unanticipated way, such as in a pop-out window).