Why Urdu captions so often look wrong
If you've tried adding Urdu subtitles in a video editor, you've probably hit one of these:
- The font falls back to Naskh. Many editors and browsers don't ship a Nastaliq font, so Urdu shows up in an Arabic-style Naskh face. It's readable, but it doesn't look like Urdu to a Pakistani viewer.
- Letters don't join, or appear as separate boxes.
- Word order flips when an English word sits inside an Urdu sentence, because the line is laid out left to right.
- Timing is per sentence, so a whole line sits on screen while you speak, instead of following your words.
Caption my video was built with Urdu as a first-class language: the captions are drawn in Nastaliq, laid out right to left, and highlighted one word at a time as you say it.
What you get
| Caption my video | |
|---|---|
| Transcription | Whisper, with timing for every word, in any of the 9 supported languages |
| Script | Nastaliq, right to left, with taller line spacing so the letters don't clip |
| Mixed words | English terms inside an Urdu sentence stay in the right order |
| Editing | Change any word that was heard wrongly |
| Style | You choose the caption position, size and highlight colour |
| Extras | Small drawings pop up when you mention things |
| Watermark | None |
What you can upload
A talking clip up to 3 minutes long, as MP4, MOV or WebM, up to 400 MB. A vertical phone video for Reels, TikTok or Shorts works, as does a landscape clip.
Tips for cleaner Urdu captions
- Record in a quiet room. Speech recognition is much more accurate without fans, traffic or background music. Add music after captioning, not before.
- Speak at your normal pace. Very fast speech merges words; very slow speech makes captions feel stuck.
- Proofread names and English terms. Personal names, brand names and technical words are the ones most often heard wrongly. Fix them in the editor before downloading.
- Mind the bottom of the screen. On Shorts, TikTok and Reels the platform's own buttons and text cover the lower part. Move the captions up a little if your clip has important content low in the frame.
- Pick a highlight colour that stands out against your background. A bright highlight on a busy outdoor clip helps viewers follow along with the sound off.
Who uses Urdu captions
- Talking-head creators on TikTok and Reels, where many people watch without sound.
- Teachers and tutors recording short lessons on a phone.
- Businesses posting product demos or property walk-throughs in Urdu.
- Islamic and poetry channels, where Nastaliq simply looks right to the audience.
Don't have a clip yet? The Urdu video maker makes a whole video from one sentence, with an Urdu voice, captions and drawings. If you want captions in another script, see Hindi captions or Arabic captions.
How it works
- Open Caption my videoSign in with Google (free) and choose Caption my video.
- Upload your clipChoose an MP4, MOV or WebM file up to 3 minutes and 400 MB, and set the language to Urdu.
- Check the wordsThe clip is transcribed with word timing. Read through the captions and fix any word that was heard wrongly.
- Style the captionsSet the caption position, size and highlight colour. Drawings pop up automatically when you mention things.
- DownloadDownload your video with word-by-word Nastaliq captions and no watermark.
Questions
Are the captions really in Nastaliq?
Yes. Urdu captions are drawn in a Nastaliq font, right to left, with extra line height so the letters aren't cut off.
Can I correct mistakes in the transcription?
Yes. Every word can be edited before you download, which matters most for names and English terms.
How long can my clip be?
Up to 3 minutes, as an MP4, MOV or WebM file of up to 400 MB.
Do I need an account?
Captioning your own clip needs a free Google sign-in.
Can I caption a video where I mix Urdu and English?
Yes. English words inside Urdu sentences are kept in the right order in the right-to-left line. Check the transcription for words that were heard wrongly.
Updated 2026-10-28