# Add word-by-word captions Canonical URL: https://getvidiyo.app/prompts/add-word-by-word-captions Last updated: 2026-10-08 > TL;DR: Type "Add word-by-word captions" and Vidiyo transcribes your speech on your Mac, groups the words into short lines, and adds captions that highlight or animate each word as you say it. It then moves every caption clear of faces, on-screen text and platform buttons, and checks that none run past two lines. ## What to say > Add word-by-word captions Category: Captions ## What Vidiyo does 1. Uses the local word-timed transcript of each speaking clip. 2. Generates captions with a word-by-word preset, two to four words per line for short-form. 3. Styles them with a readable size and outline, using your brand highlight colour when one is set. 4. Moves each caption group clear of faces, on-screen text, titles and platform buttons. 5. Runs caption checks for lines over a face, off frame or wrapping past two lines. Word-by-word captions are the style most short-form videos use, with the spoken word lit up as it's said. In Vidiyo they come from a transcript made on your Mac, so every word is timed to your voice. ## What does Vidiyo do when you say this? Vidiyo takes the word-timed transcript of your clip and generates captions in a word-by-word style, two to four words per line for short-form. Each word lights up or animates in on the moment you say it. Then the assistant moves every caption group clear of faces, on-screen text, titles and the platform's buttons. It sizes the text to read on a phone, adds an outline when the footage behind is busy, and uses your brand highlight colour if the project has one. The quality checks then flag any caption over a face, off frame or wrapping past two lines, and the assistant fixes those before it reports back. ## How do you phrase it? Ask plainly, or name a style, size or line length: - "Add word-by-word captions" - "Add karaoke pill captions, two words at a time" - "Captions in big uppercase with the spoken word in yellow" - "Subtle subtitles at the bottom, five or six words per line" - "Use the slam style for the hook, then normal captions" The named styles are word highlight, word pop, karaoke pill, slam, wipe, bold stack, typewriter, rise, subtitle, minimal, marker and editorial. If you say a style should be your default for every video, Vidiyo remembers it. ## How would you do this by hand? By hand, you'd transcribe the video, split the text into short lines, time each line, then set up a highlight that moves word by word, usually with a template or a plugin in a traditional editor. After that you check every line on a phone-sized preview to make sure none covers a face. Here the timing comes from the transcript and placement comes from measured face positions. ## What should you check afterwards? Read the captions for names and product terms, since local transcription can mishear them. Fixing one is a single message, like "it's spelled Vidiyo, not video". Check the longest lines on a vertical video, where the bottom of the frame sits under the platform's buttons. If you want a different look later, ask to restyle and the timing stays as it is. ## Honest limits - Hindi transcribes in Devanagari, so Hinglish captions need some words fixed by hand. ## Frequently asked questions ### Which word-by-word styles are there? Word highlight and word pop light up the spoken word. Karaoke pill, slam, wipe, bold stack, typewriter and rise animate each word in as it's spoken. Ask for one by name or describe the feel you want. ### Are the captions burned in? Yes, they're drawn into the exported MP4. You can also export an SRT file from the captions panel. ### Does it work in languages other than English? English is built in. Other languages use a downloadable language pack. Hindi comes out in Devanagari, so Hinglish captions need some words fixed by hand. ### Is my audio uploaded for transcription? No. Transcription runs on your Mac with a local model, so the audio never leaves it. ## Related - [Auto captions that are transcribed on your Mac](https://getvidiyo.app/features/auto-captions) - [Word-level captions](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/word-level-captions) - [Burned-in captions](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/burned-in-captions) - [How to make word-by-word captions](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/word-by-word-captions) - [Add word-by-word captions in my brand font](https://getvidiyo.app/prompts/captions-in-my-brand-font) Download Vidiyo for Mac (free during the beta): https://getvidiyo.app/download