diff --git src/wp-admin/css/common.css src/wp-admin/css/common.css
index 2ec8b7d..0fce0b6 100644
--- src/wp-admin/css/common.css
+++ src/wp-admin/css/common.css
@@ -781,7 +781,9 @@ img.emoji {
 .welcome-panel .welcome-panel-close:hover:before,
 .welcome-panel .welcome-panel-close:focus:before,
 .tagchecklist span a:hover:before,
-#bulk-titles div a:hover:before {
+.tagchecklist span a:focus:before,
+#bulk-titles div a:hover:before,
+#bulk-titles div a:focus:before {
 	color: #c00;
 }
 
diff --git src/wp-admin/css/edit.css src/wp-admin/css/edit.css
index 5e5a6d3..97b5e06 100644
--- src/wp-admin/css/edit.css
+++ src/wp-admin/css/edit.css
@@ -624,6 +624,7 @@ span.wp-media-buttons-icon:before {
 	text-indent: 0;
 	overflow: hidden;
 	position: absolute;
+	text-decoration: none;
 }
 
 #poststuff h3.hndle, /* Back-compat for pre-4.4 */
diff --git src/wp-admin/includes/meta-boxes.php src/wp-admin/includes/meta-boxes.php
index bf877c3..1775afc 100644
--- src/wp-admin/includes/meta-boxes.php
+++ src/wp-admin/includes/meta-boxes.php
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ function post_tags_meta_box( $post, $box ) {
 	<p class="howto" id="new-tag-<?php echo $tax_name; ?>-desc"><?php echo $taxonomy->labels->separate_items_with_commas; ?></p>
 	<?php endif; ?>
 	</div>
-	<div class="tagchecklist"></div>
+	<div class="tagchecklist" aria-live="assertive"></div>
 </div>
 <?php if ( $user_can_assign_terms ) : ?>
 <p class="hide-if-no-js"><a href="#titlediv" class="tagcloud-link" id="link-<?php echo $tax_name; ?>"><?php echo $taxonomy->labels->choose_from_most_used; ?></a></p>
diff --git src/wp-admin/js/tags-box.js src/wp-admin/js/tags-box.js
index af823ac..ab2937f 100644
--- src/wp-admin/js/tags-box.js
+++ src/wp-admin/js/tags-box.js
@@ -81,9 +81,10 @@ var tagBox, array_unique_noempty;
 
 				// If tags editing isn't disabled, create the X button.
 				if ( ! disabled ) {
-					xbutton = $( '<a id="' + id + '-check-num-' + key + '" class="ntdelbutton" tabindex="0">X</a>' );
+					xbutton = $( '<a id="' + id + '-check-num-' + key + '" class="ntdelbutton" href="#"><span class="screen-reader-text">' + postL10n.deleteTag + ' ' + val + '</span></a>' );
 
 					xbutton.on( 'click keypress', function( e ) {
+						e.preventDefault();
 						// Trigger function if pressed Enter - keyboard navigation
 						if ( e.type === 'click' || e.keyCode === 13 ) {
 							// When using keyboard, move focus back to the new tag field.
diff --git src/wp-includes/script-loader.php src/wp-includes/script-loader.php
index 3b58560..ccafb02 100644
--- src/wp-includes/script-loader.php
+++ src/wp-includes/script-loader.php
@@ -538,6 +538,7 @@ function wp_default_scripts( &$scripts ) {
 			'saveAlert' => __('The changes you made will be lost if you navigate away from this page.'),
 			'savingText' => __('Saving Draft&#8230;'),
 			'permalinkSaved' => __( 'Permalink saved' ),
+			'deleteTag' => __('Delete'),
 		) );
 
 		$scripts->add( 'press-this', "/wp-admin/js/press-this$suffix.js", array( 'jquery', 'tags-box' ), false, 1 );