Word by word text animation template
The word by word template reveals a line one whole word at a time. Each word eases in over a fraction of a second, there is no cursor, and the template rests a little longer at commas and full stops than the typewriter style does. The result reads like a spoken caption rather than someone typing.
The kinetic typography maker opens with this preset for square GIFs, and the text animation generator uses it for green screen MP4s you can key in a video editor.
What the word by word template produces
Both samples were rendered by the engine the makers use. The wide one is 800 × 450 px in bold Inter: the whole line lands in 1.6 seconds and the file is about 66 KB. The square greeting is 480 × 480 px on a gradient with an emoji, 3.2 seconds and about 748 KB; gradients and emoji make GIFs larger.
When word by word works better than typing
Viewers read whole words, not letters. Revealing a word at a time keeps pace with reading, so the animation feels quick even when the line is long enough to need two lines on screen.
- Captions and hooks on Reels, Shorts and TikTok, exported as 9:16 MP4.
- A punchline on a slide, where each word lands on the beat of your talk.
- Greetings such as "Happy Birthday, Mom!", where every word should get its moment.
- A quote or a product promise in a square social post.
When to pick another style
For code, commands and anything that should look typed by a person, letter-by-letter reveals carry the meaning better. Use the typewriter template for READMEs and editorial headers, and the terminal style for console text.
| Style | How text appears | Cursor | Fits best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typewriter | Letter by letter, with pauses at punctuation | Thin bar caret | README headers, slide titles, editorial headers |
| Terminal | Letter by letter, left-aligned like a console | Block cursor | Commands, CLI demos, loading lines |
| Word by word | Whole words, each with a short ease-in | None | Captions, punchlines, greetings, short video |
Starting settings
With this preset the speed slider counts words per second instead of characters. Preview the whole line before you export.
| Setting | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 2–4 words per second | Each word stays on its own long enough to read before the next one lands. The slider runs from 1 to 60. |
| Font | Inter or Space Grotesk, bold | Heavy sans-serif words stay readable on phones and behind video. |
| Size | 9:16 for short video, 1:1 for feeds, 16:9 for slides | The maker exports 16:9, 1:1, 9:16 and 4:1 banner. |
| Hold | 1.5–3 s | The full sentence needs to stay on screen longer than a single typed line. The hold runs from 0.25 to 5 s. |
| Format | MP4 on green for video editors, GIF for chats and docs | GIFs loop by default and looping can be switched off. MP4 loops only when the player repeats it. MP4 is always free. |
Using the template in a video editor
Export a silent MP4 up to 1080p on the green screen background (#00B140) from the text animation generator, then key out the green in your editor and place the words over your footage. MP4 has no transparency, so the green key is how the text sits on top of video.
How to make your animation
Open the kinetic typography maker
It loads with the word by word preset in a square frame. For video, use the text animation generator instead.
Write the line and set the pace
Type up to 280 characters. Set the speed in words per second, the hold, the font and the size, then watch the whole line.
Download GIF or MP4
Export a looping GIF for posts and chats, or a silent MP4 for your video editor. The file downloads straight from your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Is the word by word template free?
Yes. GIF up to 1280 px at 15 fps for up to 15 seconds, or silent MP4 up to 1080p at 30 fps for up to 60 seconds. The pixel-frame budget limits a 1280 × 1280 square GIF to about 10 s. No watermark, no registration, and no export count limit. Free and paid exports can be used commercially. No attribution required.
Does word by word text support emoji?
Yes, emoji can sit in the line like a word. Emoji fonts are not bundled, so they use your device font and may look different on another device. Check the preview before you export.
Is this the same as kinetic typography?
It is one form of it. Kinetic typography is any text in motion; this template moves text by revealing whole words in sequence. The kinetic typography maker opens with this preset.
Last updated: 2026-11-10