Fix Hyphenated Words Read as Two Words in Accessible PDFs
Question details
Screen readers process hyphenated words as two separate words in exported PDFs.
- Product
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Reading a PDF document exported from a layout software with screen readers like JAWS or NVDA.
- Observed behavior
- JAWS and NVDA read split, hyphenated words as two distinct words, even though copying and pasting the text yields the correct, complete word.
Verify that your screen reader software is updated to the latest version, as accessibility rendering engines frequently improve their handling of line breaks and discretionary hyphens.
Disable Discretionary Hyphenation in the Source Document
The most reliable way to prevent screen readers from splitting words is to turn off automatic and discretionary hyphenation before exporting the PDF.
Screen readers often struggle with words split across lines using hyphens, interpreting the hyphen as a literal break in the word rather than a typesetting convention. Fixing this at the source document level ensures the cleanest PDF text output.
Open the original source document in your layout software, such as Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Word.
Highlight the text, paragraph, or select the paragraph style you want to modify.
Open the Paragraph panel or the Paragraph Style Options dialog box.
Locate the 'Hyphenate' or 'Automatic Hyphenation' option and uncheck the box to disable it entirely.
Re-export the document, ensuring you check the option to 'Create Tagged PDF' to preserve proper accessibility structures.
Adjust Text Layout to Prevent Awkward Line Breaks
If hyphenation cannot be disabled globally for design reasons, manually adjust the layout to keep problematic words intact on a single line.
Remove Undesired Hyphens Directly in WPS PDF
If you do not have access to the original source document, you can use WPS Office's built-in PDF editor to manually remove hyphens and rejoin split words for better screen reader accessibility.
- 1. Open the PDF: Launch WPS Office and open your PDF file using the built-in PDF tool.
- 2. Enter Edit Mode: Navigate to the 'Edit' tab at the top of the window and click on 'Edit Content' to enable text editing mode.
- 3. Locate hyphenated text: Scroll to the paragraph containing the hyphenated word that is causing accessibility issues.
- 4. Remove the hyphen: Click into the text block, delete the hyphen, and remove any unnecessary line breaks to merge the text into a single, continuous word.
- 5. Save changes: Click 'Save' or press Ctrl+S to apply the modifications, then retest the document with your screen reader.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do JAWS and NVDA read hyphenated text as two words?
Screen readers process the exact characters and tags present in the PDF text stream. If a discretionary hyphen and a line break separate a word, the screen reader's rendering engine often interprets the hyphen as the end of one word and the following text as the beginning of a new one.
Does copying and pasting the text show the same error?
Usually, no. Copying text from the PDF often ignores the structural tags, line breaks, and discretionary hyphens, resulting in the complete word on your clipboard. However, screen readers read the structural tags and line breaks differently than the clipboard handles raw text.
How can I check if my PDF is properly tagged for accessibility?
You can verify PDF accessibility tags by opening the document in a professional PDF editor and viewing the Tags panel. Ensuring your source document is exported as a 'Tagged PDF' helps screen readers understand the correct reading order and text flow.
