left, leftmost, left-hand

Don't use left as a directional term by itself. Instead, use a term such as upper left, lower left, leftmost, or on the left side of. Include a hyphen when you use left to modify a noun, as in upper-left corner. Don't use left-hand as a modifier.

Accessibility tip Don't use directional terms (left, right, up, down) as the only clue to location. Individuals with cognitive disabilities might have difficulty interpreting them, as might people who are blind and use screen-reading software. It's OK to use a directional term if another indication of location, such as in the Save As dialog box, on the Standard toolbar, or in the title bar, is also included. Directional terms are also OK to use when a sighted user with dyslexia can clearly see a change in the interface as the result of an action, such as a change in the right pane when an option in the left pane is selected.