diff --git a/src/Internat.cpp b/src/Internat.cpp
index 5d91b48bf..48efbbfbf 100644
--- a/src/Internat.cpp
+++ b/src/Internat.cpp
@@ -298,12 +298,3 @@ wxString Internat::StripAccelerators(const wxString &s)
    }
    return result;
 }
-
-wxString Internat::Parenthesize(const wxString &str)
-{
-   /* i18n-hint: An opening parenthesis, in some languages a right parenthesis */
-   auto open = _("(");
-   /* i18n-hint: A closing parenthesis, in some languages a left parenthesis */
-   auto close = _(")");
-   return open + str + close;
-}
diff --git a/src/Internat.h b/src/Internat.h
index 6cb005010..e6c2e2a9a 100644
--- a/src/Internat.h
+++ b/src/Internat.h
@@ -76,8 +76,6 @@ public:
     * when they aren't, saving translators effort. */
    static wxString StripAccelerators(const wxString& str);
 
-   static wxString Parenthesize(const wxString &str);
-
    static const wxArrayString &GetExcludedCharacters()
    { return exclude; }
 
diff --git a/src/commands/CommandManager.cpp b/src/commands/CommandManager.cpp
index 1924d89e5..b1bd2b298 100644
--- a/src/commands/CommandManager.cpp
+++ b/src/commands/CommandManager.cpp
@@ -1287,24 +1287,51 @@ void CommandManager::TellUserWhyDisallowed( const wxString & Name, CommandFlag f
 }
 
 wxString CommandManager::DescribeCommandsAndShortcuts
-(const std::vector<wxString> &commands, const wxString &separator) const
+(const std::vector<wxString> &commands) const
 {
+   wxString mark;
+   // This depends on the language setting and may change in-session after
+   // change of preferences:
+   bool rtl = (wxLayout_RightToLeft == wxTheApp->GetLayoutDirection());
+   if (rtl)
+      mark = wxT("\u200f");
+
+   static const wxString &separatorFormat = wxT("%s / %s");
    wxString result;
    auto iter = commands.begin(), end = commands.end();
    while (iter != end) {
-      result += *iter++;
+      // If RTL, then the control character forces right-to-left sequencing of
+      // "/" -separated command names, and puts any "(...)" shortcuts to the
+      // left, consistently with accelerators in menus (assuming matching
+      // operating system prefernces for language), even if the command name
+      // was missing from the translation file and defaulted to the English.
+      auto piece = wxString::Format(wxT("%s%s"), mark, *iter++);
+
       if (iter != end) {
          if (!iter->empty()) {
             auto keyStr = GetKeyFromName(*iter);
             if (!keyStr.empty()){
-               result += wxT(" ");
-               result += Internat::Parenthesize(KeyStringDisplay(keyStr, true));
+               auto keyString = KeyStringDisplay(keyStr, true);
+               auto format = wxT("%s %s(%s)");
+#ifdef __WXMAC__
+               // The unicode controls push and pop left-to-right embedding.
+               // This keeps the directionally weak characters, such as uparrow
+               // for Shift, left of the key name,
+               // consistently with how menu accelerators appear, even when the
+               // system language is RTL.
+               format = wxT("%s %s(\u202a%s\u202c)");
+#endif
+               // The mark makes correctly placed parentheses for RTL, even
+               // in the case that the piece is untranslated.
+               piece = wxString::Format(format, piece, mark, keyString);
             }
          }
          ++iter;
       }
-      if (iter != end)
-         result += separator;
+      if (result.empty())
+         result = piece;
+      else
+         result = wxString::Format(separatorFormat, result, piece);
    }
    return result;
 }
diff --git a/src/commands/CommandManager.h b/src/commands/CommandManager.h
index c6e0579a7..0b3fad11d 100644
--- a/src/commands/CommandManager.h
+++ b/src/commands/CommandManager.h
@@ -270,9 +270,7 @@ class AUDACITY_DLL_API CommandManager final : public XMLTagHandler
        // non-user-visible command names.  If a shortcut key is defined
        // for the command, then it is appended, parenthesized, after the
        // user-visible string.
-       const std::vector<wxString> &commands,
-       // If more than one pair of strings is given, then use this separator.
-       const wxString &separator = wxT(" / ")) const;
+       const std::vector<wxString> &commands) const;
 
 protected:
 
diff --git a/src/toolbars/ToolBar.cpp b/src/toolbars/ToolBar.cpp
index 38bd0612b..d34babd62 100644
--- a/src/toolbars/ToolBar.cpp
+++ b/src/toolbars/ToolBar.cpp
@@ -832,7 +832,7 @@ void ToolBar::MakeAlternateImages(AButton &button, int idx,
 }
 
 void ToolBar::SetButtonToolTip
-(AButton &button, const std::vector<wxString> &commands, const wxString &separator)
+(AButton &button, const std::vector<wxString> &commands)
 {
    wxString result;
    const auto project = GetActiveProject();
@@ -840,7 +840,7 @@ void ToolBar::SetButtonToolTip
       project ? project->GetCommandManager() : nullptr;
    if (commandManager)
       result =
-         commandManager->DescribeCommandsAndShortcuts(commands, separator);
+         commandManager->DescribeCommandsAndShortcuts(commands);
    button.SetToolTip(result);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/toolbars/ToolBar.h b/src/toolbars/ToolBar.h
index 79ace9a3b..ba6cd5bcd 100644
--- a/src/toolbars/ToolBar.h
+++ b/src/toolbars/ToolBar.h
@@ -161,9 +161,7 @@ class ToolBar /* not final */ : public wxPanelWrapper
        // non-user-visible command names.  If a shortcut key is defined
        // for the command, then it is appended, parenthesized, after the
        // user-visible string.
-       const std::vector<wxString> &commands,
-       // If more than one pair of strings is given, then use this separator.
-       const wxString &separator = wxT(" / "));
+       const std::vector<wxString> &commands);
 
  protected:
    void SetButton(bool down, AButton *button);