Word-by-word captions for talking-head videos

What are word-by-word captions?

They are captions that appear or highlight in time with speech, one word or a few at a time, instead of a static line of subtitles. They are common in short-form video because they hold the eye on the speaker's words.

Open captions, such as these, are drawn into the video itself. Viewers cannot switch them off, and they look the same on every platform, unlike a subtitle track that depends on the app.

How do Explainer and Bold style them?

Explainer puts captions on a dark pill under your chin and follows your voice word by word, with the key word in gold so it reads on any shirt. Bold pops captions in word by word on a dark plate and adds a highlight block on the word that carries the point.

What makes captions easy to read?

• Strong contrast between text and background. A dark plate under the words does this.
• One short line at a time, not a paragraph.
• Keep the captions out of the area covered by platform buttons at the bottom and right of vertical video.
• Emphasise only the word that carries the point. Highlighting everything highlights nothing.

What should you check on the result?

Captions are only as good as the words recognised from your audio. Names, brand terms and unusual words are the most likely to be wrong, so read through the stills before rendering. Ask Claude to fix any wrong word, then render.

SkilledCut skills do not publish an accuracy figure. Always proofread the captions before you post.