Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

closed captioning

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.58 in modern English

Syllables: closed -cap-tion-ing
IPA

24

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

4

Syllables

12

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The transcription, either verbatim or in edited form, of the dialogue and sometimes sound effects of a program, displayed onscreen and synchronized with the program, most frequently used by the deaf and language learners. Closed captions are encoded invisibly, and displayed by a decoder.

Uncountable

noun

The analogue standard for this transcription, which analogue media like videotapes, laser discs, and cable television use, but also digital forms like satellite television and DVDs.

Formal; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"... the closed captioning said, "There were no survivors of flight 815." [Note from Season 3: turns out it was "We're the survivors of flight 815."]"

Etymology

"Closed" originally indicated that such captions were by default not visible until activated (opened) by the viewer turning them on, in contrast to open captions which are embedded in the video itself, visible to all.

Usage

Inflected Forms

close captioning (alternative)

Derived Forms

CC

Phrases

closed caption open captioning

Frequently Paired Words

captioning closed caption open captioning audio description described video

Questions

What does closed captioning mean?: The transcription, either verbatim or in edited form, of the dialogue and sometimes sound effects of a program, displayed onscreen and synchronized with the program, most frequently used by the deaf and language learners. Closed captions are encoded invisibly, and displayed by a decoder.
Where does closed captioning come from?: "Closed" originally indicated that such captions were by default not visible until activated (opened) by the viewer turning them on, in contrast to open captions which are embedded in the video itself, visible to all.

How to pronounce closed captioning

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “closed captioning”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “closed captioning”.
Repeat and practice — Say “closed captioning” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.