How to Correct Right-to-Left Reading Order in Tagged Arabic and Farsi PDFs
Question details
The user needs to correct the reading order of tagged Arabic and Farsi PDFs so that assistive technologies read the text correctly from right to left instead of left to right.
- Product
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Ensuring document accessibility for Arabic and Farsi speakers who rely on screen readers to dictate PDF content.
- Observed behavior
- Screen readers dictate Arabic and Farsi text backwards (left to right) because individual characters are placed in separate tag containers without proper reading direction indicators.
Before troubleshooting, identify which specific software is reading your PDF—such as the built-in PDF viewer, NVDA, or JAWS—because the reading order settings often need to be adjusted within the assistive technology itself.
Verify Document Language and Tag Overrides
Ensure the overall PDF document language is correctly set to Arabic or Farsi to guide screen readers appropriately.
A script generally cannot safely reverse tagged text containers while preserving the correct semantic reading order. The most reliable method is ensuring the document properties provide the correct linguistic context to the reader software.
Open your PDF document and navigate to File > Properties (or Document Properties).
Go to the Advanced tab, locate the Reading Options section, and ensure the Language dropdown is set to either Arabic or Farsi.
Open the Accessibility Tags panel to verify that the language attribute is not improperly overridden on individual text tags, which could force a left-to-right reading flow.
Adjust Reading Order Preferences Manually
Modify the built-in reading order settings of your PDF viewing application.
Configure Screen Reader Application Settings
External screen readers like NVDA or JAWS may override the PDF's native settings and must be configured to detect right-to-left languages.
Manage Document Properties and Text with WPS Office
WPS Office provides a highly capable PDF editor that allows you to easily verify document properties, manage text layouts, and handle multi-language documents. It is a lightweight and powerful solution for your daily PDF needs.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Download and install WPS Office for free from the official website.
- 2. Open Your PDF: Launch WPS PDF and open the Arabic or Farsi document you need to check.
- 3. Check Properties: Navigate to the Menu to access Document Properties and verify the layout settings.
- 4. Edit Text Directly: Use the Edit tab to easily adjust or merge misaligned text blocks for better readability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a script to automatically reverse the reading order in a tagged PDF?
No, using a script to reverse tagged text containers is not recommended. Scripts generally cannot safely alter the text direction while preserving the semantic structure and correct reading order required for accessibility compliance.
Why is my screen reader dictating Arabic text backwards?
This commonly occurs when individual Arabic or Farsi characters are generated as separate tag containers without the proper document language defined. Without a right-to-left language indicator, screen readers default to a left-to-right reading order.
Do NVDA and JAWS require different reading settings for PDFs?
Yes, assistive technologies handle PDF tags differently. Even if the PDF is formatted correctly, you may need to adjust language detection and reading order preferences specifically within the NVDA or JAWS application settings to ensure accurate dictation.
