diff --git a/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md
index 2759cc629a336e..5241ec3fc9ae35 100644
--- a/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 
 -   `Popover`: Allow legitimate 0 positions to update popover position ([#51320](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/51320)).
 -   `Button`: Remove unnecessary margin from dashicon ([#51395](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/51395)).
+-   `Autocomplete`: Announce how many results are available to screen readers when suggestions list first renders ([#51018](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/51018)).
 
 ### Internal
 
diff --git a/packages/components/src/autocomplete/autocompleter-ui.tsx b/packages/components/src/autocomplete/autocompleter-ui.tsx
index e5bfe61d265bb9..663316c39b32ea 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/autocomplete/autocompleter-ui.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/autocomplete/autocompleter-ui.tsx
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ import {
 	useState,
 } from '@wordpress/element';
 import { useAnchor } from '@wordpress/rich-text';
-import { useMergeRefs, useRefEffect } from '@wordpress/compose';
+import { useDebounce, useMergeRefs, useRefEffect } from '@wordpress/compose';
+import { speak } from '@wordpress/a11y';
+import { __, _n, sprintf } from '@wordpress/i18n';
 
 /**
  * Internal dependencies
@@ -23,7 +25,7 @@ import Button from '../button';
 import Popover from '../popover';
 import { VisuallyHidden } from '../visually-hidden';
 import { createPortal } from 'react-dom';
-import type { AutocompleterUIProps, WPCompleter } from './types';
+import type { AutocompleterUIProps, KeyedOption, WPCompleter } from './types';
 
 export function getAutoCompleterUI( autocompleter: WPCompleter ) {
 	const useItems = autocompleter.useItems
@@ -69,8 +71,48 @@ export function getAutoCompleterUI( autocompleter: WPCompleter ) {
 
 		useOnClickOutside( popoverRef, reset );
 
+		const debouncedSpeak = useDebounce( speak, 500 );
+
+		function announce( options: Array< KeyedOption > ) {
+			if ( ! debouncedSpeak ) {
+				return;
+			}
+			if ( !! options.length ) {
+				if ( filterValue ) {
+					debouncedSpeak(
+						sprintf(
+							/* translators: %d: number of results. */
+							_n(
+								'%d result found, use up and down arrow keys to navigate.',
+								'%d results found, use up and down arrow keys to navigate.',
+								options.length
+							),
+							options.length
+						),
+						'assertive'
+					);
+				} else {
+					debouncedSpeak(
+						sprintf(
+							/* translators: %d: number of results. */
+							_n(
+								'Initial %d result loaded. Type to filter all available results. Use up and down arrow keys to navigate.',
+								'Initial %d results loaded. Type to filter all available results. Use up and down arrow keys to navigate.',
+								options.length
+							),
+							options.length
+						),
+						'assertive'
+					);
+				}
+			} else {
+				debouncedSpeak( __( 'No results.' ), 'assertive' );
+			}
+		}
+
 		useLayoutEffect( () => {
 			onChangeOptions( items );
+			announce( items );
 			// Temporarily disabling exhaustive-deps to avoid introducing unexpected side effecst.
 			// See https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/41820
 			// eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
diff --git a/packages/components/src/autocomplete/index.tsx b/packages/components/src/autocomplete/index.tsx
index af9625d6459157..7825526fe34a5a 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/autocomplete/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/autocomplete/index.tsx
@@ -13,13 +13,8 @@ import {
 	useRef,
 	useMemo,
 } from '@wordpress/element';
-import { __, _n, sprintf } from '@wordpress/i18n';
-import {
-	useInstanceId,
-	useDebounce,
-	useMergeRefs,
-	useRefEffect,
-} from '@wordpress/compose';
+import { __, _n } from '@wordpress/i18n';
+import { useInstanceId, useMergeRefs, useRefEffect } from '@wordpress/compose';
 import {
 	create,
 	slice,
@@ -27,7 +22,6 @@ import {
 	isCollapsed,
 	getTextContent,
 } from '@wordpress/rich-text';
-import { speak } from '@wordpress/a11y';
 
 /**
  * Internal dependencies
@@ -54,7 +48,6 @@ export function useAutocomplete( {
 	completers,
 	contentRef,
 }: UseAutocompleteProps ) {
-	const debouncedSpeak = useDebounce( speak, 500 );
 	const instanceId = useInstanceId( useAutocomplete );
 	const [ selectedIndex, setSelectedIndex ] = useState( 0 );
 
@@ -137,28 +130,6 @@ export function useAutocomplete( {
 		setAutocompleterUI( null );
 	}
 
-	function announce( options: Array< KeyedOption > ) {
-		if ( ! debouncedSpeak ) {
-			return;
-		}
-		if ( !! options.length ) {
-			debouncedSpeak(
-				sprintf(
-					/* translators: %d: number of results. */
-					_n(
-						'%d result found, use up and down arrow keys to navigate.',
-						'%d results found, use up and down arrow keys to navigate.',
-						options.length
-					),
-					options.length
-				),
-				'assertive'
-			);
-		} else {
-			debouncedSpeak( __( 'No results.' ), 'assertive' );
-		}
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Load options for an autocompleter.
 	 *
@@ -169,7 +140,6 @@ export function useAutocomplete( {
 			options.length === filteredOptions.length ? selectedIndex : 0
 		);
 		setFilteredOptions( options );
-		announce( options );
 	}
 
 	function handleKeyDown( event: KeyboardEvent ) {
diff --git a/test/e2e/specs/editor/various/autocomplete-and-mentions.spec.js b/test/e2e/specs/editor/various/autocomplete-and-mentions.spec.js
index 0176fb45982db8..53b2940fe6c755 100644
--- a/test/e2e/specs/editor/various/autocomplete-and-mentions.spec.js
+++ b/test/e2e/specs/editor/various/autocomplete-and-mentions.spec.js
@@ -475,4 +475,32 @@ test.describe( 'Autocomplete (@firefox, @webkit)', () => {
 			page.locator( 'role=option', { hasText: 'Frodo Baggins' } )
 		).not.toBeVisible();
 	} );
+
+	test( 'should allow speaking number of initial results', async ( {
+		page,
+		editor,
+	} ) => {
+		await editor.canvas.click( 'role=button[name="Add default block"i]' );
+		await page.keyboard.type( '/' );
+		await expect(
+			page.locator( `role=option[name="Image"i]` )
+		).toBeVisible();
+		// Get the assertive live region screen reader announcement.
+		await expect(
+			page.getByText(
+				'Initial 9 results loaded. Type to filter all available results. Use up and down arrow keys to navigate.'
+			)
+		).toBeVisible();
+
+		await page.keyboard.type( 'heading' );
+		await expect(
+			page.locator( `role=option[name="Heading"i]` )
+		).toBeVisible();
+		// Get the assertive live region screen reader announcement.
+		await expect(
+			page.getByText(
+				'2 results found, use up and down arrow keys to navigate.'
+			)
+		).toBeVisible();
+	} );
 } );