This comprehensive reference lists all NVDA keyboard commands. Commands are shown for both Desktop and Laptop keyboard layouts.
NVDA Modifier Key: The NVDA modifier key defaults to Insert, Numpad 0 (with Num Lock off), or Caps Lock (if enabled).
System Control
Starting and Stopping
| Name | Desktop | Laptop | Description |
|---|
| Start/Restart NVDA | Control+Alt+N | Control+Alt+N | Starts or restarts NVDA (Windows shortcut, configured during installation) |
| Exit NVDA | NVDA+Q, then Enter | NVDA+Q, then Enter | Exits NVDA after confirmation |
| Stop speech | Control | Control | Immediately stops speaking |
| Pause speech | Shift | Shift | Pauses speech; press again to resume |
| Repeat last spoken | NVDA+X | NVDA+X | Repeats last information spoken (press twice for browseable window) |
NVDA Control
| Name | Desktop | Laptop | Description |
|---|
| NVDA menu | NVDA+N | NVDA+N | Opens the NVDA menu |
| Toggle Input Help | NVDA+1 | NVDA+1 | Reports keys pressed without executing commands |
| Pass next key through | NVDA+F2 | NVDA+F2 | Sends next keystroke directly to application |
| Toggle Sleep Mode | NVDA+Shift+S | NVDA+Shift+Z | Disables NVDA for current application |
| Cycle Speech Mode | NVDA+S | NVDA+S | Cycles between Talk, Beeps, Off, and On-demand modes |
Reading Text
Say All
| Name | Desktop | Laptop | Description |
|---|
| Say all | NVDA+Down Arrow | NVDA+A | Reads from current position to end |
| Say all with review | Numpad Plus | NVDA+Shift+A | Reads using review cursor |
Current Position Reading
| Name | Desktop | Laptop | Description |
|---|
| Read current line | NVDA+Up Arrow | NVDA+L | Reads current line (2x=spell, 3x=phonetic) |
| Read selection | NVDA+Shift+Up Arrow | NVDA+Shift+S | Reads selected text (2x=spell, 3x=phonetic) |
| Read clipboard | NVDA+C | NVDA+C | Reads clipboard text (2x=spell, 3x=phonetic) |
| Read current word | NVDA+Numpad 5 | NVDA+Control+. | Reads current word (2x=spell, 3x=phonetic) |
| Read current character | NVDA+Numpad 2 | NVDA+. | Reads current character (2x=description, 3x=numeric value) |
Navigation
System Focus
| Name | Desktop | Laptop | Description |
|---|
| Report focus | NVDA+Tab | NVDA+Tab | Reports current focused control (2x=spell, 3x=phonetic) |
| Report title | NVDA+T | NVDA+T | Reports window title (2x=spell, 3x=copy to clipboard) |
| Read active window | NVDA+B | NVDA+B | Reads entire current window |
| Report status bar | NVDA+End | NVDA+Shift+End | Reports status bar (2x=spell, 3x=copy) |
| Report shortcut key | Shift+Numpad 2 | NVDA+Control+Shift+. | Reports shortcut key of focused object |
Object Navigation
Desktop Layout (Numpad)
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Report current object | NVDA+Numpad 5 | Reports navigator object (2x=spell, 3x=copy) |
| Move to containing object | NVDA+Numpad 8 | Moves to parent object |
| Move to first contained object | NVDA+Numpad 2 | Moves to first child object |
| Move to previous object | NVDA+Numpad 4 | Moves to previous sibling |
| Move to next object | NVDA+Numpad 6 | Moves to next sibling |
| Move to previous in flat view | NVDA+Numpad 9 | Moves to previous object in flattened hierarchy |
| Move to next in flat view | NVDA+Numpad 3 | Moves to next object in flattened hierarchy |
| Move to focus object | NVDA+Numpad Minus | Jumps to focused object |
| Activate current object | NVDA+Numpad Enter | Activates current navigator object |
| Move focus to navigator object | NVDA+Shift+Numpad Minus | Moves system focus to navigator object |
| Report object location | NVDA+Shift+Numpad Delete | Reports location information |
Laptop Layout
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Report current object | NVDA+Shift+O | Reports navigator object |
| Move to containing object | NVDA+Shift+Up Arrow | Moves to parent object |
| Move to first contained object | NVDA+Shift+Down Arrow | Moves to first child object |
| Move to previous object | NVDA+Shift+Left Arrow | Moves to previous sibling |
| Move to next object | NVDA+Shift+Right Arrow | Moves to next sibling |
| Move to previous in flat view | NVDA+Shift+[ | Previous in flattened hierarchy |
| Move to next in flat view | NVDA+Shift+] | Next in flattened hierarchy |
| Move to focus object | NVDA+Backspace | Jumps to focused object |
| Activate current object | NVDA+Enter | Activates navigator object |
| Move focus to navigator object | NVDA+Shift+Backspace | Moves focus to navigator |
| Report object location | NVDA+Shift+Delete | Reports location information |
Text Review
Desktop Layout (Numpad)
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Move to top line | Shift+Numpad 7 | Moves to first line |
| Move to previous line | Numpad 7 | Moves to previous line |
| Report current line | Numpad 8 | Reports current line (2x=spell, 3x=phonetic) |
| Move to next line | Numpad 9 | Moves to next line |
| Move to bottom line | Shift+Numpad 9 | Moves to last line |
| Move to previous word | Numpad 4 | Moves to previous word |
| Report current word | Numpad 5 | Reports current word (2x=spell, 3x=phonetic) |
| Move to next word | Numpad 6 | Moves to next word |
| Move to start of line | Shift+Numpad 1 | Moves to line start |
| Move to previous character | Numpad 1 | Moves to previous character |
| Report current character | Numpad 2 | Reports character (2x=description, 3x=numeric) |
| Move to next character | Numpad 3 | Moves to next character |
| Move to end of line | Shift+Numpad 3 | Moves to line end |
| Say all with review | Numpad Plus | Reads from current review position |
Laptop Layout
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Move to top line | NVDA+Control+Home | Moves to first line |
| Move to previous line | NVDA+Up Arrow | Moves to previous line |
| Report current line | NVDA+Shift+. | Reports current line |
| Move to next line | NVDA+Down Arrow | Moves to next line |
| Move to bottom line | NVDA+Control+End | Moves to last line |
| Move to previous word | NVDA+Control+Left Arrow | Moves to previous word |
| Report current word | NVDA+Control+. | Reports current word |
| Move to next word | NVDA+Control+Right Arrow | Moves to next word |
| Move to start of line | NVDA+Home | Moves to line start |
| Move to previous character | NVDA+Left Arrow | Moves to previous character |
| Report current character | NVDA+. | Reports current character |
| Move to next character | NVDA+Right Arrow | Moves to next character |
| Move to end of line | NVDA+End | Moves to line end |
| Say all with review | NVDA+Shift+A | Reads from review position |
Review Modes
| Name | Desktop | Laptop | Description |
|---|
| Switch to next review mode | NVDA+Numpad 7 | NVDA+Page Up | Switches to next review mode |
| Switch to previous review mode | NVDA+Numpad 1 | NVDA+Page Down | Switches to previous mode |
Copy with Review Cursor
| Name | Desktop | Laptop | Description |
|---|
| Set start marker for copy | NVDA+F9 | NVDA+F9 | Marks start of text to copy |
| Copy to review cursor | NVDA+F10 | NVDA+F10 | First press selects, second copies to clipboard |
| Move to start marker | NVDA+Shift+F9 | NVDA+Shift+F9 | Moves review cursor to start marker |
Browse Mode
Mode Control
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Toggle browse/focus modes | NVDA+Space | Switches between browse and focus mode |
| Exit focus mode | Escape | Returns to browse mode if auto-switched |
| Refresh browse mode document | NVDA+F5 | Reloads the current document |
| Elements list | NVDA+F7 | Lists links, headings, form fields, etc. |
Single Letter Navigation
Add Shift to any key to move to the previous element of that type.
| Key | Element Type | Description |
|---|
H | Heading | Next heading at any level |
1-6 | Heading levels | Next heading at specific level (1-6) |
K | Link | Next link |
U | Unvisited link | Next unvisited link |
V | Visited link | Next visited link |
F | Form field | Next form field (any type) |
E | Edit field | Next edit box |
B | Button | Next button |
X | Checkbox | Next checkbox |
C | Combo box | Next combo box / dropdown |
R | Radio button | Next radio button |
L | List | Next list |
I | List item | Next list item |
T | Table | Next table |
D | Landmark | Next ARIA landmark |
G | Graphic | Next image/graphic |
O | Embedded object | Next embedded object (audio/video/application) |
A | Annotation | Next comment or editor revision |
P | Text paragraph | Next text paragraph |
W | Spelling error | Next spelling error |
N | Non-linked text | Next block of non-linked text |
Q | Block quote | Next block quote |
S | Separator | Next separator |
M | Frame | Next frame |
Container Navigation
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Move to start of container | Shift+, | Moves to beginning of list/table containing cursor |
| Move past end of container | , | Moves past the end of container |
Searching
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Find | NVDA+Control+F | Opens find dialog |
| Find next | NVDA+F3 | Finds next occurrence |
| Find previous | NVDA+Shift+F3 | Finds previous occurrence |
Selection
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Toggle native selection mode | NVDA+Shift+F10 | Enables native selection in browse mode |
Table Navigation
Commands for navigating data tables:
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Move to next column | Control+Alt+Right Arrow | Moves right in same row |
| Move to previous column | Control+Alt+Left Arrow | Moves left in same row |
| Move to next row | Control+Alt+Down Arrow | Moves down in same column |
| Move to previous row | Control+Alt+Up Arrow | Moves up in same column |
| Move to first column | Control+Alt+Home | Jumps to first column in row |
| Move to last column | Control+Alt+End | Jumps to last column in row |
| Move to first row | Control+Alt+Page Up | Jumps to first row in column |
| Move to last row | Control+Alt+Page Down | Jumps to last row in column |
| Say all in column | NVDA+Control+Alt+Down Arrow | Reads column downward from current cell |
| Say all in row | NVDA+Control+Alt+Right Arrow | Reads row rightward from current cell |
| Read entire column | NVDA+Control+Alt+Up Arrow | Reads entire column without moving |
| Read entire row | NVDA+Control+Alt+Left Arrow | Reads entire row without moving |
Microsoft Word & Outlook
Document Navigation
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Next sentence | Alt+Down Arrow | Moves to next sentence |
| Previous sentence | Alt+Up Arrow | Moves to previous sentence |
View Control (Word only)
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Print layout view | Control+Alt+P | Switches to print layout view |
| Outline view | Control+Alt+O | Switches to outline view |
Track Changes (Word only)
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Toggle change tracking | Control+Shift+E | Enables/disables track changes |
Speech Settings
Quick Adjustments
| Name | Desktop | Laptop | Description |
|---|
| Move to next synth setting | NVDA+Control+Right Arrow | NVDA+Shift+Control+Right Arrow | Next setting in ring |
| Move to previous synth setting | NVDA+Control+Left Arrow | NVDA+Shift+Control+Left Arrow | Previous setting in ring |
| Increment current setting | NVDA+Control+Up Arrow | NVDA+Shift+Control+Up Arrow | Increase value |
| Decrement current setting | NVDA+Control+Down Arrow | NVDA+Shift+Control+Down Arrow | Decrease value |
| Increment in larger steps | NVDA+Control+Page Up | NVDA+Shift+Control+Page Up | Increase by 20% or 20 voices |
| Decrement in larger steps | NVDA+Control+Page Down | NVDA+Shift+Control+Page Down | Decrease by 20% or 20 voices |
Speech Options
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Cycle punctuation level | NVDA+P | Cycles through None/Some/Most/All |
| Speak typed characters | NVDA+2 | Toggle character echo |
| Speak typed words | NVDA+3 | Toggle word echo |
| Speak command keys | NVDA+4 | Toggle command key announcement |
Braille
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Braille tether | NVDA+Control+T | Cycles through focus/review/automatic |
| Braille mode | NVDA+Alt+T | Toggles follow cursors/display speech |
| Show braille messages | No default | Toggle message display on braille |
Mouse Control
Desktop Layout
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Left mouse click | Numpad Divide | Clicks left button |
| Left mouse lock | Shift+Numpad Divide | Locks/unlocks left button |
| Right mouse click | Numpad Multiply | Clicks right button |
| Right mouse lock | Shift+Numpad Multiply | Locks/unlocks right button |
| Move mouse to navigator | NVDA+Numpad Divide | Moves mouse to current object |
| Navigate to mouse | NVDA+Numpad Multiply | Sets navigator to object under mouse |
Laptop Layout
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Left mouse click | NVDA+[ | Clicks left button |
| Left mouse lock | NVDA+Control+[ | Locks/unlocks left button |
| Right mouse click | NVDA+] | Clicks right button |
| Right mouse lock | NVDA+Control+] | Locks/unlocks right button |
| Move mouse to navigator | NVDA+Shift+M | Moves mouse to current object |
| Navigate to mouse | NVDA+Shift+N | Sets navigator to object under mouse |
Mouse Options
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Enable mouse tracking | NVDA+M | Toggle mouse tracking |
| Toggle audio coordinates | No default | Toggle audio coordinate beeps |
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Report date/time | NVDA+F12 | Once=time, twice=date |
| Report battery status | NVDA+Shift+B | Reports AC power and battery percentage |
| Report clipboard text | NVDA+C | Reads clipboard contents |
| Report text formatting | NVDA+F | Reports formatting (2x=browse mode window) |
| Report link destination | NVDA+K | Reports link URL (2x=window) |
| Report caret location | NVDA+Numpad Delete (Desktop)
NVDA+Delete (Laptop) | Reports position information |
Configuration
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| NVDA Settings | NVDA+Control+G | Opens general settings |
| Speech settings | NVDA+Control+V | Opens speech settings |
| Select synthesizer | NVDA+Control+S | Opens synthesizer selection |
| Braille settings | NVDA+Control+A | Opens braille settings |
| Keyboard settings | NVDA+Control+K | Opens keyboard settings |
| Mouse settings | NVDA+Control+M | Opens mouse settings |
| Document formatting settings | NVDA+Control+D | Opens document formatting |
| Save configuration | Control+NVDA+C | Saves current settings |
| Revert configuration | NVDA+Control+R (3x) | Restores saved settings |
| Input Gestures | No default | Opens gesture customization dialog |
| Configuration profiles | No default | Opens profile manager |
Touch Gestures
| Gesture | Action |
|---|
| Single tap | Announce item under finger |
| Double tap | Activate item |
| Triple tap | Report position |
| Flick right | Next item |
| Flick left | Previous item |
| Flick down | Next line (text mode) / first contained object (object mode) |
| Flick up | Previous line (text mode) / containing object (object mode) |
| 2-finger tap | Stop speech |
| 2-finger double tap | Open NVDA menu |
| 2-finger triple tap | Toggle audio coordinates |
| 2-finger flick right | Next page / next in flat view |
| 2-finger flick left | Previous page / previous in flat view |
| 2-finger flick up | Switch to next review mode |
| 2-finger flick down | Switch to previous review mode |
| 3-finger tap | Toggle touch modes (text/object) |
| 3-finger flick down | Say all from review cursor |
| 4-finger tap | Open help menu |
| 4-finger flick down | Show current app name |
| 4-finger flick right | Next character (text mode) |
| 4-finger flick left | Previous character (text mode) |
Touch Mode Control
| Name | Gesture | Description |
|---|
| Toggle touch support | NVDA+Control+Alt+T | Enables/disables touch interaction |
| Toggle touch modes | 3-finger tap | Switches between text and object mode |
Mathematical Content
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Interact with math | NVDA+Alt+M | Begins math navigation mode |
| Arrow keys | Various | Navigate within mathematical expression |
| Home/End | Various | Move to start/end of expression |
| Space | - | Read current position in math |
| Escape | - | Exit math navigation |
| Control+C | - | Copy current math node to clipboard |
Application-Specific Commands
Foobar2000
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Report remaining time | Control+Shift+R | Reports time remaining |
Miranda IM
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Report recent message | NVDA+Control+1-4 | Reports one of the recent messages |
Poedit
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Report notes | Control+Shift+A | Reports translator notes (2x=browse mode) |
| Report comment | Control+Shift+C | Reports comment (2x=browse mode) |
| Report old source | Control+Shift+O | Reports old source text (2x=browse mode) |
| Report warning | Control+Shift+W | Reports translation warning (2x=browse mode) |
Kindle for PC
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Next page | Page Down | Turns to next page |
| Previous page | Page Up | Turns to previous page |
| Show selection menu | Applications or Shift+F10 | Shows options for selected text |
Windows Console
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Scroll console up | Control+Up Arrow | Scrolls console window up |
| Scroll console down | Control+Down Arrow | Scrolls console window down |
| Scroll to start | Control+Home | Scrolls to beginning of buffer |
| Scroll to end | Control+End | Scrolls to end of buffer |
Vision Enhancement
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Toggle screen curtain | NVDA+Control+Escape | Blacks out screen for privacy |
| Name | Key | Description |
|---|
| Python console | No default | Opens Python console (Tools menu) |
| Log viewer | No default | Opens log viewer (Tools menu) |
| Reload plugins | NVDA+Control+F3 | Reloads app modules and global plugins |
Tips for Learning Commands
Input Help Mode
Press NVDA+1 to enable Input Help. Press any key to hear what it does without executing the command.
Start with Essentials
Focus on basic reading, navigation, and speech control commands first.
Practice Regularly
Use commands daily to build muscle memory and increase efficiency.
Customize as Needed
Use Input Gestures dialog to create shortcuts that match your workflow.
Print the Commands Quick Reference from the Help menu for a handy physical reference.
