Decision and verification worksheet
Creator Lane | Reviewed October 24, 2026
https://creatorlanehq.com/blog/word-by-word-vs-phrase-captions

WORD-BY-WORD VS PHRASE CAPTIONS: READABILITY BEFORE ANIMATION
Original Creator Lane decision worksheet | 2026-10-24

TASK
Audience / project:
Required outcome:
Current workflow and its specific limitation:
Options actually available without a new purchase:
Source material and permission:

DECISION QUESTIONS
When do phrase captions work well?
Your evidence / answer:
Unresolved detail / owner:

When can word emphasis be useful?
Your evidence / answer:
Unresolved detail / owner:

What should be tested with fast speech?
Your evidence / answer:
Unresolved detail / owner:

How should long words and names be handled?
Your evidence / answer:
Unresolved detail / owner:

What does an accessible fallback look like?
Your evidence / answer:
Unresolved detail / owner:


PRACTICE BRIEF
Create two versions of the same 15-second explanation: phrase captions and restrained word emphasis. Ask someone unfamiliar with the script to watch once on a phone and summarize the instruction. Choose the version they can understand without replaying; this is a readability test, not a claimed engagement benchmark.

ACCEPTANCE CHECKS
[ ] Group by meaning
Evidence:
[ ] Test at normal playback speed
Evidence:
[ ] Keep a complete caption source
Evidence:

RESULT LOG
Option / exact version / account or interface:
Date / source URLs checked:
Input / settings / output version:
What was actually tested (leave blank if not tested):
Accepted results / failures / correction time:
Actual charges, if any (do not estimate as measured):
Privacy / permissions / delivery checks:
Decision and main limitation:
Next action / owner:
Recheck trigger:

REFERENCES
W3C caption guidance: https://www.w3.org/WAI/media/av/captions/
Premiere caption workflow: https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-text-images/insert-captions/about-captions.html
Canva editable video captions: https://www.canva.com/help/generate-edit-captions-on-videos/

You may adapt this original worksheet for personal and client work. Third-party materials retain their own licences.