Office Settings & Configuration

How to Customize the Reading Order of Word Table Cells for Screen Readers

Bushra Parveen Oct 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to change how screen readers navigate a Word table, specifically seeking a column-by-column reading order rather than the default left-to-right row order.

How to Customize the Reading Order of Word Table Cells

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Optimizing document accessibility for visually impaired users relying on screen readers.
Observed behavior: Word currently forces a default left-to-right, row-by-row reading order for tables, which cannot be natively changed to read column-by-column.

Before you start

Check which screen reader software your audience is using (like NVDA or JAWS), as different screen readers have built-in hotkeys for reading tables by column regardless of Word's default output.

Solution 1Recommended

Structure Tables for Default Row-by-Row Reading

Since Word does not support changing the underlying reading order natively, the best practice is to design tables so they logically make sense when read left-to-right.

Microsoft Word handles table accessibility by design, outputting data left-to-right, row-by-row. There is no built-in setting to force a top-to-bottom column reading order in the document's structure.

To ensure accessibility, restructure your data to align with this left-to-right flow or split complex tables into simpler ones.

Transpose Table Data

Restructure your table so that the primary data categories are placed in rows rather than columns. This way, the default left-to-right reading order naturally matches the logical flow of your data.

Define Header Rows

Select the top row of your table, right-click, and choose 'Table Properties'. Under the 'Row' tab, check the box for 'Repeat as header row at the top of each page'. This helps screen readers identify the context of the data cells.

Structure Tables for Default Row-by-Row Reading

Solution 2

Use VBA for Keyboard Navigation (Advanced)

You can use VBA macros to change how the 'Tab' key navigates cells, though this may not override the screen reader's internal structural reading flow.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can newer versions of Word change the table reading order to column-by-column?

No, even the latest versions of Microsoft Word (including Microsoft 365) do not provide a native setting to alter the default left-to-right, row-by-row reading order for tables.

How do screen reader users typically read tables by column?

Most advanced screen readers have specific keyboard shortcuts (such as Ctrl+Alt+Down Arrow in NVDA or JAWS) that allow the user to navigate down a column manually, bypassing Word's default Tab navigation.

Does converting a Word document to PDF fix the table reading order?

Converting to PDF allows you to use advanced accessibility tools (like Adobe Acrobat Pro) to manually edit the accessibility tags and change the reading order, though this requires extra steps outside of Word.

Can I merge cells to fix the reading order in Word?

Merging or splitting cells is highly discouraged for accessible documents. It frequently confuses screen readers and breaks the logical reading sequence of the table.

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