diff --git a/packages/eui/changelogs/upcoming/9140.md b/packages/eui/changelogs/upcoming/9140.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bbfbec90259
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/eui/changelogs/upcoming/9140.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+**Accessibility**
+
+- Improved the accessibility experience of `EuiBasicTable` and `EuiInMemoryTable` by ensuring tooltips displayed for action buttons are visual-only whenever the `action.name` and `action.description` are exactly the same
+
diff --git a/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.test.tsx b/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.test.tsx
index b1b93636e39..7d95c6d6b4c 100644
--- a/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.test.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   waitForEuiPopoverOpen,
   waitForEuiPopoverClose,
   waitForEuiToolTipVisible,
+  waitForEuiToolTipHidden,
 } from '../../test/rtl';
 
 import { CollapsedItemActions } from './collapsed_item_actions';
@@ -156,4 +157,54 @@ describe('CollapsedItemActions', () => {
     fireEvent.click(getByTestSubject('customAction'));
     await waitForEuiPopoverClose();
   });
+
+  // If `name` and `description` are exactly the same
+  // we don't want screen readers announcing the same text twice
+  test('tooltip screen-reader output', async () => {
+    const props = {
+      actions: [
+        {
+          name: 'same',
+          description: 'different',
+          onClick: () => {},
+          'data-test-subj': 'different',
+        },
+        {
+          name: 'same',
+          description: 'same',
+          onClick: () => {},
+          'data-test-subj': 'same',
+        },
+      ],
+      itemId: 'id',
+      item: { id: 'abc' },
+      actionsDisabled: false,
+      displayedRowIndex: 0,
+    };
+
+    const { getByTestSubject, getByRole } = render(
+      <CollapsedItemActions {...props} />
+    );
+    fireEvent.click(getByTestSubject('euiCollapsedItemActionsButton'));
+    await waitForEuiPopoverOpen();
+
+    const actionDifferent = getByTestSubject('different');
+    fireEvent.mouseOver(actionDifferent);
+    await waitForEuiToolTipVisible();
+    const tooltipDifferent = getByRole('tooltip');
+    expect(tooltipDifferent).toHaveTextContent('different');
+    expect(actionDifferent).toHaveAttribute('aria-describedby');
+    expect(actionDifferent.getAttribute('aria-describedby')).toEqual(
+      tooltipDifferent.id
+    );
+    fireEvent.mouseOut(actionDifferent);
+    await waitForEuiToolTipHidden();
+
+    const actionSame = getByTestSubject('same');
+    fireEvent.mouseOver(actionSame);
+    await waitForEuiToolTipVisible();
+    const tooltipSame = getByRole('tooltip');
+    expect(tooltipSame).toHaveTextContent('same');
+    expect(actionSame).not.toHaveAttribute('aria-describedby');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.tsx b/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.tsx
index 1a86031b680..9dbc6f8ff2b 100644
--- a/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.tsx
+++ b/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/collapsed_item_actions.tsx
@@ -110,7 +110,13 @@ export const CollapsedItemActions = <T extends {}>({
               if (!event.isPropagationStopped()) closePopover();
             }}
             toolTipContent={toolTipContent}
-            toolTipProps={{ delay: 'long' }}
+            toolTipProps={{
+              delay: 'long',
+              // Avoid screen-readers announcing the same text twice
+              disableScreenReaderOutput:
+                typeof buttonContent === 'string' &&
+                buttonContent === toolTipContent,
+            }}
           >
             {buttonContent}
           </EuiContextMenuItem>
diff --git a/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.test.tsx b/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.test.tsx
index 6514004e1b3..9ad93e49ef3 100644
--- a/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.test.tsx
@@ -123,6 +123,59 @@ describe('DefaultItemAction', () => {
     expect(getByText('goodbye tooltip')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
+  it('is described by the tooltip via aria-describedby', async () => {
+    const actionWithDifferentNameAndDescription: EmptyButtonAction<Item> = {
+      name: 'same',
+      description: 'different',
+      'data-test-subj': 'different',
+      type: 'button',
+      onClick: () => {},
+    };
+    const { getByTestSubject, getByRole } = render(
+      <DefaultItemAction
+        action={actionWithDifferentNameAndDescription}
+        enabled={true}
+        item={{ id: 'differentId' }}
+      />
+    );
+
+    const action = getByTestSubject('different');
+    fireEvent.mouseOver(action);
+    await waitForEuiToolTipVisible();
+    const tooltip = getByRole('tooltip');
+    expect(tooltip).toHaveTextContent('different');
+    expect(tooltip).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(action).toHaveAttribute('aria-describedby');
+    expect(action.getAttribute('aria-describedby')).toEqual(tooltip.id);
+  });
+
+  // If `name` and `description` are exactly the same
+  // we don't want screen readers announcing the same text twice
+  it('has visual-only tooltip when `name` equals `description`', async () => {
+    const actionWithEqualNameAndDescription: EmptyButtonAction<Item> = {
+      name: 'same',
+      description: 'same',
+      'data-test-subj': 'same',
+      type: 'button',
+      onClick: () => {},
+    };
+    const { getByTestSubject, getByRole } = render(
+      <DefaultItemAction
+        action={actionWithEqualNameAndDescription}
+        enabled={true}
+        item={{ id: 'sameId' }}
+      />
+    );
+
+    const action = getByTestSubject('same');
+    fireEvent.mouseOver(action);
+    await waitForEuiToolTipVisible();
+    const tooltip = getByRole('tooltip');
+    expect(tooltip).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(tooltip).toHaveTextContent('same');
+    expect(action).not.toHaveAttribute('aria-describedby');
+  });
+
   it('passes back the original click event as well as the row item to onClick', () => {
     const onClick = jest.fn((item, event) => {
       event.preventDefault();
diff --git a/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.tsx b/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.tsx
index e026adf6ceb..4b032dcef6e 100644
--- a/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.tsx
+++ b/packages/eui/src/components/basic_table/default_item_action.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import {
   EuiButtonEmptyProps,
   EuiButtonIconProps,
 } from '../button';
-import { EuiToolTip } from '../tool_tip';
+import { EuiToolTip, EuiToolTipProps } from '../tool_tip';
 import { useGeneratedHtmlId } from '../../services/accessibility';
 import { EuiScreenReaderOnly } from '../accessibility';
 
@@ -58,6 +58,13 @@ export const DefaultItemAction = <T extends object>({
     : undefined;
   const actionContent = callWithItemIfFunction(item)(action.name);
   const tooltipContent = callWithItemIfFunction(item)(action.description);
+  const tooltipProps: Omit<EuiToolTipProps, 'position' | 'children'> = {
+    content: tooltipContent,
+    delay: 'long',
+    // Avoid screen-readers announcing the same text twice
+    disableScreenReaderOutput:
+      typeof actionContent === 'string' && actionContent === tooltipContent,
+  };
   const href = callWithItemIfFunction(item)(action.href);
   const dataTestSubj = callWithItemIfFunction(item)(action['data-test-subj']);
 
@@ -114,9 +121,7 @@ export const DefaultItemAction = <T extends object>({
 
   return enabled ? (
     <>
-      <EuiToolTip content={tooltipContent} delay="long">
-        {button}
-      </EuiToolTip>
+      <EuiToolTip {...tooltipProps}>{button}</EuiToolTip>
       {/* SR text has to be rendered outside the tooltip,
       otherwise EuiToolTip's own aria-labelledby won't properly clone */}
       {ariaLabelledBy}
diff --git a/packages/website/docs/components/tables/basic.mdx b/packages/website/docs/components/tables/basic.mdx
index db71030430b..adc4737c137 100644
--- a/packages/website/docs/components/tables/basic.mdx
+++ b/packages/website/docs/components/tables/basic.mdx
@@ -170,6 +170,21 @@ Actions follow these UI/UX rules:
 - Actions become semi-transparent when you hover over the row. With more than 2 actions, only the ellipsis button stays visible at all times.
 - When one or more rows are selected, all individual actions are disabled. Users should use bulk actions outside the table instead.
 
+### Accessibility
+
+`action.name` and `action.description` should be different. The name is a short identifier, while the description should explain the purpose of the action or provide hints.
+
+```jsx
+const action = {
+  name: 'User profile',
+  description:
+    ({ firstName, lastName }) => `Visit ${firstName} ${lastName}'s profile`,
+  // ...
+};
+```
+
+If a meaningful description for an action is not possible, setting the exact same value for `action.name` and `action.description` as a `string` will ensure the button's tooltip is visual-only and the text is not announced to screen-readers twice.
+
 ```tsx interactive
 import React, { useState, useMemo } from 'react';
 import {