NVDA command key quick reference

Many of these commands use the NVDA key. The NVDA key is the insert key found either on the numberpad or near the delete, home, end, page up and page down keys on your keyboard. NVDA can also be configured so that you can use the capslock key as the NVDA key.

Global commands 

NVDA+1: keyboardHelp
This command turns on keyboard help mode so you can press any combination of keys on the keyboard and NVDA will tell you its name and what command it performs if it has one. To turn off keyboard help, press NVDA+1 again.

NVDA+t: title
Announces the title of the currently active application

NVDA+b: speakForeground
Speaks the content of the currently active application. Useful to read information in a dialog box that you perhaps missed when it first was announced.

NVDA+n: showGui
Press this key to activate the NVDA menu where you can access NVDA's settings.

NVDA+q: quit
Asks if you want to exit NVDA. Pressing yes will exit, pressing no will not.

NVDA+s: speechMode
Toggles between the three speech modes (talk, beeps and off).

NVDA+F12: dateTime
Announces the current time, pressing twice quickly announces the current date.

NVDA+pageUp: increaseRate
Increases the rate of speech by 5 per cent

NVDA+pageDown: decreaseRate
Decreases rate of speech by 5 per cent

NVDA+2: toggleSpeakTypedCharacters
Turns on or off the speaking of characters when you type them.

NVDA+3: toggleSpeakTypedWords
Turns on or off the speaking of words as you type them.

NVDA+4: toggleSpeakCommandKeys
Turns on or off the speaking of any keys as you type them.

NVDA+p: toggleSpeakPunctuation
Turns on or off the speaking of punctuation symbols as NVDA speaks information.

NVDA+End: reportStatusLine
Announces the status bar of the current application if it can find one.

NVDA+numPadDivide: moveMouseToNavigatorObject
Move the mouse pointer to the current navigator object
 
NVDA+Multiply: moveNavigatorObjectToMouse
Sets the navigator object to the current object under the mouse pointer

NVDA+Tab: reportCurrentFocus
Announces the object you are currently focused on.

NVDA+Clear: navigatorObject_current
Announces the current navigator object.

Shift+NVDA+Clear: navigatorObject_currentDimensions
Announces the size and location of the current navigator object.
 
Control+Shift+NVDA+Clear: navigatorObject_where
Announces the ancestors of the current navigator object.

NVDA+Subtract: navigatorObject_toFocus
Sets the navigator object to the current object with focus.

NVDA+Up: navigatorObject_parent
Sets the navigator object to the current navigator object's parent (i.e. the object that contains it).

NVDA+Down: navigatorObject_firstChild
Sets the navigator object to the current navigator object's first child (i.e. the first object inside it)

NVDA+Left: navigatorObject_previous
Sets the navigator object to the current navigator object's previous object (i.e. the object before it, on the same level).

Shift+NVDA+Left: navigatorObject_previousInFlow
Sets the navigator object to the current navigator object's previous object in flow (i.e. the object before it, not necessarily on the same leve).

NVDA+Right: navigatorObject_next
Sets the navigator object to the current navigator object's next object (i.e. the object after it, on the same level).

Shift+NVDA+Right: navigatorObject_nextInFlow
Sets the navigator object to the current navigator object's next object in flow (i.e. the object after it, not necessarily on the same leve).

NVDA+numpadEnter: navigatorObject_doDefaultAction
Performs the default action on the current navigator object (e.g. presses a button, activates a list item).

NVDA+Add: navigatorObject_sayAll
Starts to read all the objects after the navigator object, in flow order.

numpadSubtract: review_moveToCaret
Moves the review cursor to the location of the caret.

Control+numpadSubtract: review_moveCaretHere
Moves the caret to the location of the review cursor

numpad1: review_previousCharacter
Moves the review cursor to the previous character

shift+numpad1: review_startOfLine
Moves the review cursor to the start of the line

numpad2: review_currentCharacter
speaks the character at the review cursor

numpad3: review_nextCharacter
Moves the review cursor to the next character

shift+numpad3: review_endOfLine
Moves the review cursor to the end of the line

numpad4: review_previousWord
Moves the review cursor to the previous word

numpad5: review_currentWord
speaks the word at the review cursor

numpad6: review_nextWord
Moves the review cursor to the next word

numpad7: review_previousLine
Moves the review cursor to the previous line

shift+numpad7: review_top
Moves the review cursor to the first line
 
numpad8: review_currentLine
speaks the line at the review cursor

numpad9: review_nextLine
Moves the review cursor to the previous line

shift+numpad9: review_bottom
Moves the review cursor to the last line

NVDA+downArrow: sayAll
Starts reading from the current position in a document or edit control 

numpadAdd: review_sayAll
Uses the review cursor to read from its position to the end of the currently reviewable text

NVDA+f: reportFormatting
Announces formatting information at the current position in a document

NVDA+m: toggleReportObjectUnderMouse
Turns on or off announcement of the object or word at the mouse pointer's current potion, as it moves.

Control+NVDA+f1: speakApplicationName
Announces the currently active application's name, and also spells it out. It also announces the currently loaded NVDA app module.

NVDA+u: toggleBeepOnProgressBarUpdates
Turns on and off the beeping to indicate when a progress bar changes.

NVDA+shift+b: say_battery_status
Announces the current battery level and whether or not you're plugged in to AC power.

NVDA+5: toggleReportDynamicContentChanges
Turns on and off the automatic speaking of content changes (such as when ew text appears in a dos console window).

NVDA+6: toggleCaretMovesReviewCursor
Turns on and off the automatic movement of the review cursor as the caret moves.

NVDA+7: toggleFocusMovesNavigatorObject
Turns on and off the setting of the navigator object to the object with focus as it changes.
 
NVDA+f2: passNextKeyThrough
Pressing this key then allows you to press any other key on the keyboard and NVDA will let it go straight to the operating system with out running its NVDA specific command if it has one.

Shift+NVDA+upArrow: reportCurrentSelection
Announces the current selection in edit controls and documents. If there is no selection it says so.

NVDA+upArrow: reportCurrentLine
Announces the current line in edit controls and documents.

Control+NVDA+leftArrow: previousSetting
Moves to and announces the previous voice setting
 
Control+NVDA+rightArrow: nextSetting
Moves to and announces the next voice setting

Control+NVDA+upArrow: increaseSetting
Increases the current voice setting

Control+NVDA+downArrow: decreaseSetting
decreases the current voice setting

VirtualBuffer commands for Firefox3 (some of these may work for Internet Explorer or Firefox2):

NVDA+space: toggleVirtualBufferPassThrough
Turns virtualBuffer pass-through mode on or off.

control+NVDA+f: find (control+f in firefox2 / internet explorer)
NVDA+f3: find next
NVDA+f7: links list (not in firefox2 or internet explorer)
NVDA+f5: refresh buffer (not in Firefox2 or Internet Explorer)

VirtualBuffer quick keys to skip to the next element of a particular type(also use shift with the key to go backwards):
h: heading
l: list
i: list item
k: link
t: table
f: form



