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There is no guaranteed one-to-one conversion for every JAWS command. The reliable approach is to start with the task, check the current command in each screen reader’s official reference, and account for NVDA’s keyboard layout and configured modifier key. The mappings below are limited to commands and context established in the cited documentation.
How do I find the NVDA equivalent of a JAWS command?
- Describe the task, not just the key. Decide whether you want to read a line, read continuously, inspect focus, or interact with web content. Matching key names do not guarantee matching scope, speech behavior, or application behavior.
- Check JAWS’ current reference. Freedom Scientific maintains a JAWS hotkeys reference and a JAWS documentation index. Confirm the command against your installed release and active keyboard scheme.
- Check NVDA’s layout-specific command. NVDA documents separate desktop and laptop layouts. Unless a command is explicitly the same in both, identify which layout it uses before trying it.
- Verify unfamiliar NVDA gestures safely. Press NVDA+1 to enable Input Help, then press the gesture you want to identify. NVDA reports the key and associated command without executing it. Press NVDA+1 again to turn Input Help off.
Here, “NVDA key” means the modifier configured in NVDA, not necessarily one physical key. NVDA’s defaults are Insert or Numpad 0; Caps Lock can also be configured as the modifier. The exact key assignment is configurable, so check it on the computer you are using. See the NVDA User Guide for modifier and layout details.
What changes when switching from JAWS to NVDA?
- Layout matters: NVDA has desktop and laptop command layouts, and a function may use different gestures in each.
- The modifier may differ: A command written as NVDA+key uses your configured NVDA modifier. It is not automatically the same physical key you used for JAWS.
- Commands are configurable and context-sensitive: Application and web-navigation context can affect what a gesture does. Do not assume that a similar key combination has identical behavior in both screen readers.
- Some tasks may not have an established direct equivalent: Check both vendors’ current references rather than filling gaps with a guessed mapping.
Which documented commands are useful starting points?
The following table includes only pairings or commands established by the cited references. The JAWS entries are from Freedom Scientific’s hotkeys page; confirm that they apply to your release and active scheme. NVDA gestures are labeled by layout. “Not established” means the cited material does not verify a direct JAWS-to-NVDA pairing for that task.
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| Task or purpose | JAWS gesture | NVDA gesture | Context and verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read continuously (Say All) | Not established in the cited JAWS hotkeys reference for this pairing | Desktop: NVDA+Down Arrow Laptop: NVDA+A |
Replace NVDA with your configured modifier. The NVDA User Guide lists these layout-specific Say All gestures. |
| Identify an unfamiliar key or command without executing it | Keyboard Help: Insert+1 or Caps Lock+1 | NVDA+1 to toggle Input Help on or off | These are each screen reader’s help features, not a command mapping. JAWS entries are from the hotkeys reference; NVDA Input Help reports the gesture and associated command without running it. |
| Search JAWS commands | Insert+Space, then J | Not established | JAWS-specific entry in Freedom Scientific’s hotkeys reference. This does not establish an equivalent NVDA command. |
| Read Word in Context | Insert+C or Caps Lock+C | Not established | JAWS-specific entry in Freedom Scientific’s hotkeys reference. Check the active JAWS scheme and release. |
| Toggle web browse and focus modes | Not established | NVDA+Space | NVDA web-navigation context. Escape exits focus mode. See the NVDA Commands Quick Reference; these controls do not describe every application’s behavior. |
How do browse mode and focus mode affect web commands?
NVDA’s browse mode supports navigating web content, while focus mode is relevant when interacting with controls that receive input. The NVDA Commands Quick Reference documents NVDA+Space to toggle between browse and focus modes, and Escape to leave focus mode. These controls help explain why a gesture can behave differently depending on whether you are reading a page or working in an interactive control. They are context, not a complete model of behavior in every browser or application.
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How can I build a dependable personal mapping?
- Write down the task in plain language and the application or page where you perform it.
- Look up the JAWS gesture in Freedom Scientific’s current reference, noting your release and keyboard scheme.
- Look up the corresponding task in the NVDA User Guide or Commands Quick Reference, selecting the desktop or laptop column that matches your setup.
- Use NVDA Input Help (NVDA+1) to confirm an unfamiliar gesture without triggering it.
- Try the verified command in the relevant context. If the references do not establish a counterpart, record the task as unverified rather than assigning a guessed key.
For guided practice beyond quick command lookups, the NVDA User Guide recommends “Basic Training for NVDA.”
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