NVDA Keyboard Shortcuts

NVDA Keyboard Shortcuts

Screen Reader Keyboard Shortcuts and Gestures > NVDA

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NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access) is a screen reader for Microsoft Windows that is totally free, yet fully functional and portable; you can download it to your PC or to portable media such as a USB stick. It was initially released in 2006 by NV Access founders Michael Curran and James Teh — blind computer programmers who believe passionately in universal access to computers.

To install NVDA: Go to http://www.nvaccess.org/download/ . We encourage you to donate if you can. If you can't, you can skip the donation and just download the software.

NVDA shortcut keys

Note: Some keyboard shortcuts require using the NVDA modifier key. By default, both the Numpad Insert key and the Extended Insert key are set as NVDA modifier keys, but users can designate the Caps Lock key as an additional NVDA modifier key. In the tables below, the assumption is that the Insert key is being used as the NVDA modifier key. If you have changed your settings, you may need to substitute the Caps Lock key in the place of the Insert key. Note also that these keyboard shortcuts are for NVDA's desktop keyboard layout setting; some shortcuts are different when using NVDA's laptop keyboard layout setting.

Browse and Focus Modes

Browse Mode: Browse mode is used when reading documents or web pages.

Focus Mode: Focus mode is used when the user enters a form or other fields that require user input.

NVDA automatically switches between Browse and Focus modes, but the user can toggle them using Insert + Space Bar.

Speech Viewer

Turn on Speech Viewer: Enabling Speech Viewer opens a window that shows everything NVDA states. This is useful for sighted users learning NVDA for testing purposes. Enable it under Tools in the NVDA menu.

The basics

Topic	Task	Command
On/Off:	Turn NVDA on	Control + Alt + N
	Turn NVDA off	Insert + Q
Reading:	Stop Reading	Control
	Start reading continuously from this point on	Insert + or Numpad Plus (+)
	Read next item
	Read next focusable item (e.g. link, button)	Tab
Activate:	Link	Enter
	Button	Enter or Spacebar
Headings:	Go to next heading	H
	Go to next heading of level [1-6]	1 - 6
	List all headings	Insert + F7
Landmarks:	Go to next landmark/region	D
Elements list:	Show list of all links, headings, form fields, buttons, and landmarks	Insert + F7
Tables:	Go to next table	T
	Navigate table cells	Ctrl + Alt + or or or
Lists:	Go to next list	L
	Go to next list item	I
Graphics:	Go to next graphic	G
Links:	List all links	Insert + F7
	Go to next link	K
	Go to next unvisited link	U
	Go to next visited link	V
Navigate:	Toggle between: Radio buttons, <select>list items, Tabs (ARIA widget), Tree view items (ARIA widget), Menu items (ARIA widget)	or or or
Go backward:	To previous heading, landmark, table, focusable item, etc.	Shift + [H, D, T, Tab, etc.]

Reading text

Topic	Task	Command
Line:	Say prior line	or Numpad 7
	Say next line	or Numpad 9
	Say current line	Insert + or Numpad 8
	Start of line	Shift + Numpad 1
	End of line	Shift + Numpad 3
	Top line	Shift + Numpad 7
	Bottom line	Shift + Numpad 9
Character:	Say prior character	or Numpad 1
	Say next character	or Numpad 3
	Say current character	Numpad 2
	Say character phonetically	Numpad 2 twice quickly
Word:	Say prior word	Ctrl + or Numpad 4
	Say next word	Ctrl + or Numpad 6
	Say current word	Numpad 5
Sentence:	Say prior sentence	Alt +
	Say next sentence	Alt +
	Say current sentence	Alt + Numpad 5
Paragraph:	Say prior paragraph	Ctrl +
	Say next paragraph	Ctrl +
Spelling:	Spell word	Numpad 5 twice quickly
	Spell word phonetically	Numpad 5 thrice quickly
	Spell current line	Insert + twice quickly
	Spell current line phonetically	Insert + thrice quickly

Tables

Topic	Task	Command
Table:	Go to next (previous) table	T (Shift + T)
Cell:	Cell to right	Ctrl + Alt +
	Cell to left	Ctrl + Alt +
	Cell below	Ctrl + Alt +
	Cell above	Ctrl + Alt +

Forms

Topic	Task	Command
List all:	List all form elements	Insert + F7
Navigate:	Next form field	F
	Next focusable item	Tab
	Next button	B
Checkboxes:	Select and deselect	Spacebar
	Next checkbox	X
Combo boxes (<select>):	Open combo box	Alt +
	Browse/select options	or the First letter
	Select multiple options	Shift + (or )
	Next combo box	C
Radio buttons:	Toggle selection	/
	Next radio button	R
Focus mode*:	Toggle between focus mode and browse mode	Insert + Spacebar

* “Focus mode” allows you to enter data into form fields. Browse mode allows you to navigate the page using standard screen reader shortcuts (e.g. to navigate headings, landmarks, links, etc.)

Other commands

Task	Command
Search for a word or a phrase	NVDA + Ctrl + F
Keyboard help	Insert + 1
Next blockquote	Q
Next key you hit ignores NVDA and is a normal keystroke	Insert + F2
Speak characters typed	Insert + 2
Speak words typed	Insert + 3
Read entire foreground window (e.g. for dialogs)	Insert + B
Announce title of the current foreground window	Insert + T

Additional resources

The full list of NVDA's keyboard commands can be found in the official NVDA User Guide.

NV Access' support webpage is available at www.nvaccess.org/get-help/.