How can I get JAWS screen reader to read '_' as 'underscore' instead of 'underline'?

I have an anchor <a href="mailto:abc_xyz@ggg.com">

When I am using Jaws to read through this anchor. Jaws is reading the text as "send mail link abc underline xyz @ggn.com"

Is this a known behaviour for Jaws screen reader where it reads underscore as underline?
If not then what needs to be changed in the anchor to make JAWS read it as underscore.

Jaws version: 2019.1912.1 and Default JAWS settings are in place.

Short answer

This is expected behaviour so you do not need to do anything to change this.

Longer Answer

Except you kind of do need to do something, change the email address format!

Older versions of NVDA will not read the underscore at all in some circumstances, making that email address completely inaccessible!

See this article on special characters from Deque.com (a little out of date as latest NVDA will work correctly but there are still plenty of people using older versions and a lot of it is still relevant.)

The real question is: why on earth would you use an underscore in an email address instead of the accepted fullstop / period for separating words / names?

Most people would not know how to type an _ so it makes it a bad practice overall.

Try the following:

1. Go to: C:\ProgramData\Freedom Scientific\JAWS\2019\SETTINGS
2. Edit the .sbl file corresponding to whatever synthesiser you happen to be using (eg, eloq.sbl for Eloquence).
3. Search for each occurrence of the word underline and replace it with underscore.
4. Save the file.
5. Restart JAWS.

Underlines should be spoken as underscores from now on.

HTH!