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FilmScribe

Word by word captions Each word reacts the moment it is said.

Word by word captions mark each word at the exact moment it is spoken, so viewers read at the speed of the voice. We transcribe every word with its own timing, which is what makes this possible with no lag. Here are six ways to do it: a fade, a color sweep, a lifting box, a bounce, a spotlight blur and a growing underline. Pick the one that fits your pace.

Use it on my video Viral →
This preview was recorded with the same renderer that burns captions into your clip, so what you see is what you get.
Style specs

How word by word timing works

Every word in the transcript carries its own start and end time. The caption style uses that timing to change the word being spoken: brighter, colored, boxed, bigger or sharper. Nothing is guessed from the length of the sentence, so the effect lands on the syllable.

Most of these styles show three words per line, up to two lines. Ali shows four, which suits longer sentences. You can change words per line and line breaks in the clip editor.

Ali
SettingValue
FontInter Bold (700)
Size78 px on a 1080 × 1920 video
Words per line4, up to 2 lines
OutlineNone
All capsNo

Ali · Sweep · Box Lift · Bounce · Spotlight · Underline

Ali Ali: upcoming words stay dim and each one lights up as it is said. The calmest option.
Sweep Sweep: color sweeps across each word as it is said, like karaoke.
Box Lift Box Lift: a blue box lands on the spoken word and lifts it slightly.
Bounce Bounce: each word bounces and turns green when it is said.
Spotlight Spotlight: only the spoken word is sharp, the rest of the line is blurred.
Underline Underline: a yellow line grows under each word as it is said.

How to make word by word captions

  1. 01

    Upload your video or paste a link

    A file or a YouTube link, including lives. We transcribe every word with its timing.

  2. 02

    Choose the clip

    Take one of the clips we suggest or mark the section yourself in the transcript.

  3. 03

    Pick a word by word style

    Ali is in Viral, Box Lift in Boxes and labels, and Sweep, Bounce, Spotlight and Underline in Karaoke.

  4. 04

    Adjust and download

    Change colors, size and position, fix any word in the transcript, and download the clip with captions burned in.

Which one fits your video

Calm talks, lessons and interviews do well with Ali or Underline: the eye follows the voice without anything jumping around.

Fast clips, promos and high-energy delivery suit Sweep, Box Lift and Bounce, where the spoken word clearly stands out. Spotlight works when you want the viewer locked on one word at a time.

  • Ali: lessons, productivity, long sentences
  • Sweep: explanations and anything set to music
  • Box Lift: sales, offers and calls to action
  • Bounce: comedy, kids and upbeat clips
  • Spotlight and Underline: focus and emphasis
  • Reels and TikTok safe zone →
Step by step

How to apply a style to your clip

How to choose and save a caption style In the Download clip window, open Captions in the right menu. On the Styles tab, filter by category or search and click a style: the caption shows up in the preview. After adjusting the font and effects, Save caption style keeps everything under a name, and Use as default applies that style automatically to your next clips. See the steps → How to customize the clip captions With a style chosen in Captions, use the Font tab to change the font, size, weight, colors, outline, shadow and line breaks, and the Effects tab for position, caption backdrop, keywords and word styles. Drag the caption in the preview to move it. See the steps → How to use your brand's font in captions Inside a video, open Library in the menu, go to Fonts and click Add font to upload a TTF or OTF file. The font stays saved in your account and shows up in every caption font picker, in the Your Fonts group. Only use fonts you're licensed to use. See the steps →

Terms worth knowing

Animated captions Captions that light up, change color or appear word by word at the exact moment each word is spoken. Burned-in captions Captions rendered into the video image itself: they show in every player and the viewer cannot turn them off. Safe zone The part of a vertical video the app interface does not cover, where captions and text stay visible. Characters per second (CPS) A caption's reading speed: how many characters the viewer has to read for every second it stays on screen.

Keep exploring

Frequently asked questions

What are word by word captions?

Captions that highlight each word at the exact moment it is spoken, with a color, a box, a bounce or a fade. They help viewers follow along with the sound off.

How do I make word by word captions automatically?

Upload the video or paste a YouTube link. We transcribe every word with its timing, and any of these styles uses that timing for you. There is nothing to sync by hand.

What if a word is transcribed wrong?

Fix it in the transcript and the captions update. The timing of the other words stays the same.

Can I export word by word captions as SRT?

You can export an SRT with every line and its timing, ready for YouTube or your editor. The word by word animation only exists in the burned-in clip, since SRT files carry text and timing, not styling.

Do word by word captions work in Premiere Pro or CapCut?

We don't export Premiere MOGRTs or CapCut templates. Download the clip with the captions burned in and drop it into your project, or import the SRT to get the text and timing without the animation.

Word by word captions, timed for you. No keyframes, no manual sync.

Upload a video or paste a YouTube link. We transcribe every word with its timing and you pick how each one lights up.

Try it on my video
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.