# alt (1-alt.org)

Short for "alternative." People use it to mean a different version of something, or a second option. It can also mean a key on a keyboard, or a description of an image for people who cannot see it.

## What a model may hear
- HTML alt attribute (web development and accessibility): insert or expect image description text, or refuse to generate images without alt text
- Alt key modifier (keyboard shortcuts and user interfaces): interpret as a command modifier or expect keyboard combinations
- Alt text / alt tag (content creation and SEO): generate or require image descriptions, or optimize for screen readers
- Alternative hypothesis (statistics and scientific method): frame responses around hypothesis testing or statistical significance
- ALT (alanine transaminase) (medicine and blood tests): respond with medical information about liver enzymes or diagnostics

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "Add alt to this image"
  Means: Write a description so blind people know what is in the picture
  May be taken as: Insert raw HTML code with alt="" or refuse because no image was provided
  Say instead: "Write a text description of this image for screen readers"
- Says: "Press alt and click"
  Means: Hold down the alt key while clicking the mouse
  May be taken as: Interpret as a command to execute or simulate a keyboard shortcut in code
  Say instead: "Hold the alt key and click with the mouse"
- Says: "What does my alt level mean"
  Means: Explain my blood test result for liver function
  May be taken as: Explain keyboard shortcuts or HTML attributes instead of medical values
  Say instead: "Explain my ALT liver enzyme blood test result"
- Says: "Give me the alt version"
  Means: Show me a different or backup option
  May be taken as: Generate HTML markup or statistical hypotheses instead of alternatives
  Say instead: "Show me an alternative version or option"

## Tips
- Say "text description" or "screen reader description" instead of just "alt" for images
- Say "alt key" explicitly when you mean the keyboard key, not just "alt"
- In medical contexts, say "ALT liver enzyme" or "alanine transaminase" to avoid confusion
- If you mean "alternative," say the full word or "alternative option"
- Specify "HTML alt attribute" only when you actually want code

## Often confused with
- option: general choice without technical markup meaning
- ctrl: another keyboard modifier, not a description
- title: HTML tooltip text, not image description
- caption: visible text near image, not hidden description
- variant: alternative form without web or keyboard associations
- AST: another liver enzyme, different medical test