What type of characters can most screen readers effectively process?

Most screen readers are designed to effectively process a variety of characters, but their ability to interpret complex or less common symbols and special characters can be limited. While they can handle a wide range of alphanumeric characters—including letters and numbers—there are specific symbols and special characters that may not be recognized or may be read inaccurately by some screen readers. This can affect the accessibility of documents, as it can lead to confusion or misinterpretation of the text for users relying on these assistive technologies. Understanding the nuances of how screen readers interpret different types of characters is crucial for creating accessible content.