diff --git a/src/dev-app/button-toggle/button-toggle-demo.html b/src/dev-app/button-toggle/button-toggle-demo.html
index b2cfc8186f3e..474b5383790b 100644
--- a/src/dev-app/button-toggle/button-toggle-demo.html
+++ b/src/dev-app/button-toggle/button-toggle-demo.html
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 <h1>Exclusive Selection</h1>
 
 <section>
-  <mat-button-toggle-group name="alignment" [vertical]="isVertical">
+  <mat-button-toggle-group name="standard alignment" [vertical]="isVertical">
     <mat-button-toggle value="left" [disabled]="isDisabled">
       <mat-icon>format_align_left</mat-icon>
     </mat-button-toggle>
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ <h1>Exclusive Selection</h1>
 </section>
 
 <section>
-  <mat-button-toggle-group appearance="legacy" name="alignment" [vertical]="isVertical">
+  <mat-button-toggle-group appearance="legacy" name="legacy alignment" [vertical]="isVertical">
     <mat-button-toggle value="left" [disabled]="isDisabled">
       <mat-icon>format_align_left</mat-icon>
     </mat-button-toggle>
diff --git a/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.html b/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.html
index 9a2113709715..81a8b18b23c5 100644
--- a/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.html
+++ b/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.html
@@ -1,17 +1,16 @@
-<button #button class="mat-button-toggle-button mat-focus-indicator"
-        type="button"
-        [id]="buttonId"
-        [attr.tabindex]="disabled ? -1 : tabIndex"
-        [attr.aria-pressed]="checked"
-        [disabled]="disabled || null"
-        [attr.name]="_getButtonName()"
-        [attr.aria-label]="ariaLabel"
-        [attr.aria-labelledby]="ariaLabelledby"
-        (click)="_onButtonClick()">
-  <span class="mat-button-toggle-label-content">
-    <ng-content></ng-content>
-  </span>
-</button>
+<input #button class="mat-button-toggle-button mat-focus-indicator"
+  [type]="type"
+  [id]="buttonId"
+  [attr.tabindex]="disabled ? -1 : tabIndex"
+  [attr.aria-pressed]="_getAriaPressed()"
+  [disabled]="disabled || null"
+  [attr.name]="_getButtonName()"
+  [attr.aria-label]="ariaLabel"
+  [attr.aria-labelledby]="ariaLabelledby"
+  (click)="_onButtonClick()">
+<label class="mat-button-toggle-label-content" [for]="buttonId">
+  <ng-content></ng-content>
+</label>
 
 <span class="mat-button-toggle-focus-overlay"></span>
 <span class="mat-button-toggle-ripple" matRipple
diff --git a/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.scss b/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.scss
index e12094d2c5d5..ea5137c804ec 100644
--- a/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.scss
+++ b/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.scss
@@ -272,4 +272,12 @@ $_standard-tokens: (
   &::-moz-focus-inner {
     border: 0;
   }
+
+  opacity: 0.01;
+  z-index: 100;
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 0;
+  left: 0;
+  right: 0;
+  bottom: 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.spec.ts b/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.spec.ts
index 7f33cc6668f9..b0ff25da91c6 100644
--- a/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.spec.ts
+++ b/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.spec.ts
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle with forms', () => {
       buttonToggleDebugElements = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.directive(MatButtonToggle));
       buttonToggleInstances = buttonToggleDebugElements.map(debugEl => debugEl.componentInstance);
       innerButtons = buttonToggleDebugElements.map(
-        debugEl => debugEl.query(By.css('button'))!.nativeElement,
+        debugEl => debugEl.query(By.css('input'))!.nativeElement,
       );
 
       fixture.detectChanges();
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle with forms', () => {
     const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(ButtonToggleGroupWithIndirectDescendantToggles);
     fixture.detectChanges();
 
-    const button = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.mat-button-toggle button');
+    const button = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.mat-button-toggle input');
     const groupDebugElement = fixture.debugElement.query(By.directive(MatButtonToggleGroup))!;
     const groupInstance =
       groupDebugElement.injector.get<MatButtonToggleGroup>(MatButtonToggleGroup);
@@ -359,7 +359,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle without forms', () => {
       buttonToggleNativeElements = buttonToggleDebugElements.map(debugEl => debugEl.nativeElement);
 
       buttonToggleLabelElements = fixture.debugElement
-        .queryAll(By.css('button'))
+        .queryAll(By.css('input'))
         .map(debugEl => debugEl.nativeElement);
 
       buttonToggleInstances = buttonToggleDebugElements.map(debugEl => debugEl.componentInstance);
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle without forms', () => {
     });
 
     it('should disable the underlying button when the group is disabled', () => {
-      const buttons = buttonToggleNativeElements.map(toggle => toggle.querySelector('button')!);
+      const buttons = buttonToggleNativeElements.map(toggle => toggle.querySelector('input')!);
 
       expect(buttons.every(input => input.disabled)).toBe(false);
 
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle without forms', () => {
       buttonToggleDebugElements = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.directive(MatButtonToggle));
       buttonToggleNativeElements = buttonToggleDebugElements.map(debugEl => debugEl.nativeElement);
       buttonToggleLabelElements = fixture.debugElement
-        .queryAll(By.css('button'))
+        .queryAll(By.css('input'))
         .map(debugEl => debugEl.nativeElement);
       buttonToggleInstances = buttonToggleDebugElements.map(debugEl => debugEl.componentInstance);
     }));
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle without forms', () => {
       expect(buttonToggleInstances.every(buttonToggle => !buttonToggle.checked)).toBe(true);
 
       const nativeCheckboxLabel = buttonToggleDebugElements[0].query(
-        By.css('button'),
+        By.css('input'),
       )!.nativeElement;
 
       nativeCheckboxLabel.click();
@@ -638,7 +638,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle without forms', () => {
 
     it('should check a button toggle upon interaction with underlying native checkbox', () => {
       const nativeCheckboxButton = buttonToggleDebugElements[0].query(
-        By.css('button'),
+        By.css('input'),
       )!.nativeElement;
 
       nativeCheckboxButton.click();
@@ -722,7 +722,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle without forms', () => {
       )!.nativeElement;
       buttonToggleInstance = buttonToggleDebugElement.componentInstance;
       buttonToggleButtonElement = buttonToggleNativeElement.querySelector(
-        'button',
+        'input',
       )! as HTMLButtonElement;
     }));
 
@@ -761,7 +761,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle without forms', () => {
     }));
 
     it('should focus on underlying input element when focus() is called', () => {
-      const nativeButton = buttonToggleDebugElement.query(By.css('button'))!.nativeElement;
+      const nativeButton = buttonToggleDebugElement.query(By.css('input'))!.nativeElement;
       expect(document.activeElement).not.toBe(nativeButton);
 
       buttonToggleInstance.focus();
@@ -790,7 +790,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle without forms', () => {
       const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(StandaloneButtonToggle);
       const checkboxDebugElement = fixture.debugElement.query(By.directive(MatButtonToggle))!;
       const checkboxNativeElement = checkboxDebugElement.nativeElement;
-      const buttonElement = checkboxNativeElement.querySelector('button') as HTMLButtonElement;
+      const buttonElement = checkboxNativeElement.querySelector('input') as HTMLButtonElement;
 
       fixture.detectChanges();
       expect(buttonElement.hasAttribute('aria-label')).toBe(false);
@@ -800,7 +800,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle without forms', () => {
       const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(ButtonToggleWithAriaLabel);
       const checkboxDebugElement = fixture.debugElement.query(By.directive(MatButtonToggle))!;
       const checkboxNativeElement = checkboxDebugElement.nativeElement;
-      const buttonElement = checkboxNativeElement.querySelector('button') as HTMLButtonElement;
+      const buttonElement = checkboxNativeElement.querySelector('input') as HTMLButtonElement;
 
       fixture.detectChanges();
       expect(buttonElement.getAttribute('aria-label')).toBe('Super effective');
@@ -825,7 +825,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle without forms', () => {
       const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(ButtonToggleWithAriaLabelledby);
       checkboxDebugElement = fixture.debugElement.query(By.directive(MatButtonToggle))!;
       checkboxNativeElement = checkboxDebugElement.nativeElement;
-      buttonElement = checkboxNativeElement.querySelector('button') as HTMLButtonElement;
+      buttonElement = checkboxNativeElement.querySelector('input') as HTMLButtonElement;
 
       fixture.detectChanges();
       expect(buttonElement.getAttribute('aria-labelledby')).toBe('some-id');
@@ -835,7 +835,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle without forms', () => {
       const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(StandaloneButtonToggle);
       checkboxDebugElement = fixture.debugElement.query(By.directive(MatButtonToggle))!;
       checkboxNativeElement = checkboxDebugElement.nativeElement;
-      buttonElement = checkboxNativeElement.querySelector('button') as HTMLButtonElement;
+      buttonElement = checkboxNativeElement.querySelector('input') as HTMLButtonElement;
 
       fixture.detectChanges();
       expect(buttonElement.getAttribute('aria-labelledby')).toBe(null);
@@ -847,7 +847,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle without forms', () => {
       const fixture = TestBed.createComponent(ButtonToggleWithTabindex);
       fixture.detectChanges();
 
-      const button = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.mat-button-toggle button');
+      const button = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.mat-button-toggle input');
 
       expect(button.getAttribute('tabindex')).toBe('3');
     });
@@ -866,7 +866,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle without forms', () => {
       fixture.detectChanges();
 
       const host = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.mat-button-toggle');
-      const button = host.querySelector('button');
+      const button = host.querySelector('input');
 
       expect(document.activeElement).not.toBe(button);
 
@@ -891,7 +891,7 @@ describe('MatButtonToggle without forms', () => {
     const hostNode: HTMLElement = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('.mat-button-toggle');
 
     expect(hostNode.hasAttribute('name')).toBe(false);
-    expect(hostNode.querySelector('button')!.getAttribute('name')).toBe('custom-name');
+    expect(hostNode.querySelector('input')!.getAttribute('name')).toBe('custom-name');
   });
 
   it(
diff --git a/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.ts b/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.ts
index b5ea5c549226..9baa8919b77d 100644
--- a/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.ts
+++ b/src/material/button-toggle/button-toggle.ts
@@ -106,8 +106,8 @@ export class MatButtonToggleChange {
     {provide: MAT_BUTTON_TOGGLE_GROUP, useExisting: MatButtonToggleGroup},
   ],
   host: {
-    'role': 'group',
     'class': 'mat-button-toggle-group',
+    '[role]': "multiple ? 'group' : 'radiogroup'",
     '[attr.aria-disabled]': 'disabled',
     '[class.mat-button-toggle-vertical]': 'vertical',
     '[class.mat-button-toggle-group-appearance-standard]': 'appearance === "standard"',
@@ -417,6 +417,11 @@ export class MatButtonToggle implements OnInit, AfterViewInit, OnDestroy {
    */
   @Input('aria-labelledby') ariaLabelledby: string | null = null;
 
+  /** Type of the button toggle. Either 'radio' or 'button'. */
+  get type(): string {
+    return this._isSingleSelector() ? 'radio' : 'button';
+  }
+
   /** Underlying native `button` element. */
   @ViewChild('button') _buttonElement: ElementRef<HTMLButtonElement>;
 
@@ -573,6 +578,15 @@ export class MatButtonToggle implements OnInit, AfterViewInit, OnDestroy {
     return this.name || null;
   }
 
+  /** Get the aria-pressed attribute value. */
+  _getAriaPressed(): boolean | null {
+    // When the toggle stands alone, or in multiple selection mode, use aria-pressed attribute.
+    if (!this._isSingleSelector()) {
+      return this.checked;
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
   /** Whether the toggle is in single selection mode. */
   private _isSingleSelector(): boolean {
     return this.buttonToggleGroup && !this.buttonToggleGroup.multiple;