[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "when%20using%20nvda%20screen%20reader%2C%20can%20i%20disable%20the%20speaking%20of%20unicode%20characters%2C%20emoji%2C%20graphics%20characters%3F"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Yes \u2014 NVDA has several settings that let you control how it handles Unicode characters, emoji, punctuation, and symbols. You can reduce or disable NVDA speaking these elements, depending on what behavior you prefer. Below are the main settings that affect this behavior, and how you can adjust them.\n\n---\n\n## Key Settings to Adjust / Disable Unicode / Emoji / Graphics Character Speech\n\n1. **Punctuation and Symbol Pronunciation Level**  \n   - In NVDA: go to *NVDA menu \u2192 Preferences \u2192 Settings \u2192 Speech \u2192 Punctuation/Symbol Level*.  \n   - You have options such as *None*, *Some*, *Most*, *All*. Setting it to **None** or one of the lower levels greatly reduces how many punctuation/symbol characters NVDA reads out. ([gecdl.in](https://gecdl.in/Content/GECDL_7.1.7.%20A_194_200.pdf?utm_source=openai))\n\n2. **Include Unicode Consortium Data (including emoji)**  \n   - This checkbox controls whether NVDA uses the Unicode CLDR (Common Locale Data Repository) to provide names for symbols/emoji.  \n   - If **checked**, NVDA may read descriptions like \u201cface with tears of joy\u201d for \ud83d\ude02 etc. If **unchecked**, it won\u2019t use that data, and might skip or silent them depending on other settings. ([nvda.jp](https://www.nvda.jp/nvda2021.1jp/en/userGuide.html?utm_source=openai))\n\n3. **Trust Voice\u2019s Language When Processing Characters and Symbols**  \n   - Also in *Speech* settings. If you find NVDA reading punctuation or symbols in a non-preferred accent or language, you can disable this to force a consistent language setting. It might reduce unwanted verbosity. ([nvda.jp](https://www.nvda.jp/nvda2021.1jp/en/userGuide.html?utm_source=openai))\n\n4. **Speak Typed Characters / Words**  \n   - If the issue is NVDA speaking every character as you type (including unprintable ones or symbol-heavy typing), you can adjust in *Preferences \u2192 Keyboard \u2192 Typing Echo* (or similar).  \n   - NVDA has recently added options for typed character/state: \u201cOff\u201d, \u201cOnly in edit controls\u201d, \u201cAlways\u201d. Setting typed character speech to **Off** (or \u201cOnly in edit controls\u201d where appropriate) will silence most of what's being said when typing symbols. ([groups.google.com](https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/g/nvda-users/c/ZI_7KqTB-z8?utm_source=openai))\n\n5. **Customize Symbol Pronunciations**  \n   - NVDA includes a \u201cPunctuation/Symbol Pronunciation\u201d dialog, where you can manually set what NVDA says for particular symbols \u2014 or silence them by leaving them blank or using a placeholder. ([gecdl.in](https://gecdl.in/Content/GECDL_7.1.7.%20A_194_200.pdf?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## Summary: Disabling Speaking of Unicode / Emoji / Graphics\n\nTo effectively disable or drastically reduce NVDA speaking Unicode/emoji/graphics characters:\n\n- Set **Punctuation/Symbol Level** as low as possible (e.g. \u201cNone\u201d or \u201cSome\u201d)  \n- Uncheck \u201cInclude Unicode Consortium data\u201d to stop auto-reading emoji names/descriptions ([nvda.jp](https://www.nvda.jp/nvda2021.1jp/en/userGuide.html?utm_source=openai))  \n- Optionally disable or reduce \u201cSpeak typed characters\u201d / \u201cTyped words\u201d so NVDA does not read every symbol or character while typing ([groups.google.com](https://groups.google.com/a/nvaccess.org/g/nvda-users/c/ZI_7KqTB-z8?utm_source=openai))  \n- For specific troublesome symbols or emoji, use NVDA\u2019s symbol pronunciation settings to override or blank them out.  \n\n---\n\nIf you tell me your NVDA version (e.g. 2024.3, latest, etc.), I can give exact menu paths for that version so you can make these changes more easily."
    },
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "ok%2C%202.%20Include%20Unicode%20Consortium%20Data%20(including%20emoji)%20is%20what%20i%20wanted.%20does%20jaws%20screen%20reader%20have%20similar%3F"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "I checked, and as of early 2026, JAWS doesn\u2019t appear to have a publicly documented setting that\u2019s exactly equivalent to NVDA\u2019s \u201cInclude Unicode Consortium Data\u201d checkbox which determines whether JAWS should use Unicode-based names of emojis (like \u201cface with tears of joy\u201d) when speaking.  \n\nHere\u2019s what I found regarding how JAWS handles emoji/symbol descriptions, what you *can* control, and what\u2019s still missing:\n\n---\n\n## What JAWS *Does* Do with Emojis & Symbols\n\n- By default, **JAWS does speak emoji descriptions** when focus moves to them. For example, it will announce \u201csmiling face with smiling eyes\u201d or \u201cface with tears of joy\u201d when encountering those. ([toptechtidbits.com](https://www.toptechtidbits.com/258.html?utm_source=openai))  \n- The announcements aren\u2019t isolated to braille use; the voice reader also speaks them. ([toptechtidbits.com](https://www.toptechtidbits.com/258.html?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\n## What Settings/Controls JAWS Has Related to Symbols\n\n- JAWS offers a **\u201cPunctuation Level\u201d** setting (None, Some, Most, All) that governs how much punctuation or symbol-like content it reads aloud. While this affects many non-alphanumeric symbols, it doesn\u2019t *necessarily* include emoji descriptions or whether Unicode CLDR descriptions are used. ([online.math.uh.edu](https://online.math.uh.edu/jaws-tutorial/?utm_source=openai))  \n- There is a setting for **phonetic announcements of typed characters** after a pause, which can be disabled. That reduces verbosity with symbol byproducts but doesn\u2019t target Unicode description use directly. ([dsurf.net](https://dsurf.net/custom-jaws-preferences-and-settings/disable-speak-character-phonetically/?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\n## What JAWS Lacks / What\u2019s Not Clear\n\n- I found *no* clear, current documentation confirming that JAWS has an explicit toggle like NVDA\u2019s \u201cInclude Unicode Consortium data\u201d that turns on/off reading Unicode emoji descriptions globally.  \n- I did not find a setting that lets you suppress speaking of emoji names while still preserving other non-symbol speech; the available settings are broader or less specific.\n\n---\n\nIf you like, I can try to dig into more recent Freedom Scientific / JAWS release docs to see whether such a toggle has been added in newer versions. Do you want me to check specifically for your version of JAWS \u2014 say, 2024, 2025, or whatever number you have \u2014 to see if there\u2019s something new in that version?"
    }
]