A printed shortcut is useful only when it matches the screen reader's active keyboard layout and bindings. Orca's Learn Mode lets you hear the keys and their associated Orca commands, helping you establish that relationship before relying on a remembered combination.

Start in a harmless application window. Identify one task you want to learn, such as reading the current line, rather than testing a long list of unfamiliar keys against an important document. Keep a way to return to the normal working view.

Establish the modifier and command

Orca's default modifier is CapsLock in its Laptop layout, while the Desktop layout uses Insert and keypad Insert. These bindings can be changed, so confirm your configuration if the expected command does not respond.

Press Orca Modifier+H to enter Learn Mode. Press the candidate key combination and listen to the announced keys and any associated command. Press Escape to leave Learn Mode. If the announced combination differs from the keys you intended, inspect the layout or physical-key behaviour before changing an Orca binding.

Learn Mode also exposes shortcut lists: F2 shows Orca-wide commands, while F3 shows commands specific to the application with focus. Use Up and Down to inspect a list, then Escape to leave it. Confirm that you have also exited Learn Mode before attempting the real task.

Practise a small, observable result

Choose a command whose effect you understand and try it on a disposable sample. For a reading command, use a short known sentence so you can tell whether the expected text was announced. For application-specific behaviour, keep that application focused during both discovery and practice.

Record the command name, actual binding and application context in your own reference note. Do not record only a key sequence detached from what it does.

If the command is unbound or differs from a guide, keep that evidence when seeking support. The aim is a reliable relationship between intention, binding and observed result. It is not necessary to memorise every shortcut or replace a working configuration before learning one useful action.

Sources: GNOME documentation, GNOME documentation.