Captions vs Subtitles: What’s the Difference And When to Use Each for Accessibility

The terms “closed captions” and “subtitles” are often used interchangeably, leading to confusion about their unique roles and purposes. While both display text representing spoken dialogue, their intended use and target audience differ significantly.

Closed captions make audio content accessible to hard-of-hearing audiences. Subtitles focus on translating spoken language or providing a transcript for viewers who may not be fluent in the original language.

Understanding these differences and making informed choices is crucial for content creators and website owners committed to delivering inclusive, accessible digital experiences that meet accessibility standards.

Contact ADA Site Compliance for more guidance on accessibility and choosing the right solutions for your digital content. Our experts can help you navigate accessibility requirements and create a truly inclusive user experience.

Importance of Subtitles For The Hard of Hearing Audiences

Subtitles provide a written translation of spoken content, bridging language barriers and making media accessible to a global audience. Commonly seen at the bottom of the screen, subtitles convert spoken dialogue from one language to another, making foreign-language content comprehensible for viewers worldwide.

While subtitles offer straightforward translations, they convey essential non-verbal cues for better viewer understanding.

Three Types of Subtitles

Subtitles are not a one-size-fits-all solution. They come in different categories to address various accessibility needs:

1. Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH) include descriptions of sound effects (like “door slamming” or “phone ringing”) and background music and identify speakers, enhancing accessibility for hard-of-hearing users.
2. (Non-SDH) subtitles assume dialogue translations presenting only the spoken words in another language to make the story accessible to audiences unfamiliar with the spoken language.
3. Forced or compelled subtitles clarify specific elements to help viewers understand the context within a primarily familiar language setting.

When to Use Subtitles

Adding subtitles to your video content can significantly expand its reach and improve viewer engagement. Here are some common scenarios where subtitles make a big impact:

• Subtitles are essential if your audience doesn’t primarily speak in your content language. They help your global audience understand your video to broaden its appeal and reach.
• Many viewers watch videos on mute, especially in public spaces or while multitasking. Subtitles allow them to follow along without sound.
• Video transcripts can improve SEO by making the video’s content more searchable. Search engines index the text, increasing your video’s visibility in search results.

Understanding Closed Captions

Closed captions enhance video content for deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals. Unlike subtitles, closed captions convey non-verbal elements like sound effects, music cues, and speaker changes, helping viewers experience the video’s full context.

Why Use Closed Captions?

With its multiple benefits, closed captions are useful for all types of audiences:

• Captions aid understanding for people with hearing impairments and those watching in noisy environments.
• Captions add context and clarity to engage viewers and help them easily follow content.
• Search engines easily index caption text to improve your video’s online visibility.
• Closed captions make your content accessible to non-native speakers and those who prefer reading along with videos.

When to Use Closed Captions

Using closed captions in the following situations can greatly improve your content’s accessibility and engagement to create a better viewing experience for everyone:

• Use captions when background noise, multiple speakers, or rapid dialogue might make comprehension challenging.
• Captions help convey visual cues like facial expressions or gestures, adding to the storyline.
• Closed captions make your content accessible across language barriers and cultural backgrounds.
• Many regions mandate closed captions for digital content, making compliance essential.

Closed Captions vs Subtitles

Terms like “closed captions” and “subtitles” are often confused. They serve distinct purposes and cater to different viewer needs. Knowing the difference can help content creators make more informed decisions about improving video accessibility.

Key Features of Closed Captions:

• Gives a complete transcription of spoken dialogue
• Describes non-verbal sounds (e.g., laughter or music)
• Enhances accessibility for hard-of-hearing viewers
• Supports viewers watching videos with the sound off

Key Features of Subtitles:

• Translates spoken dialogue into a different language
• Simplifies the viewing experience for non-native speakers
• No non-verbal sounds or audio cues
• Useful for films, TV shows, and global content with critical audio comprehension
• The ideal position in the video varies, usually centered at the bottom, moving as needed

When to Use Closed Captions:

• To improve accessibility for hard-of-hearing viewers
• For watching videos without sound, such as in public spaces
• For training videos, e-learning modules, and other instructional content

When to Use Subtitles:

• For content with international reach, such as films or marketing videos
• When creating multilingual educational or corporate training videos
• To assist viewers with various dialects, heavy accents, or unclear audio
• To translate the main display styles, forced narrative

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the difference between captions and subtitles accessibility?

Captions and subtitles each serve different accessibility needs. Captions, especially closed captions, globalize video content, both spoken dialogue and non-verbal sounds like music, laughter, or background noises. They capture all audio elements and are ideal for Deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers.

Subtitles primarily translate spoken words and are for viewers who don’t understand the language of the audio. They typically exclude sound effects and other non-verbal cues, focusing instead on translating dialogue.

2. What is the difference between captioning and subtitling?

Captioning includes verbal and non-verbal, making it a complete script of everything happening on screen. It is best for viewers seeking the whole audio experience in text form. Subtitles only display spoken language, often in a different language than the audio, and omit sound effects or background sounds.

They cater to viewers who may not understand the audio’s original language rather than those who cannot understand the language or hear it.

3. What are the 3 differences between CC and open captions?

Here are three differences between closed and open captions:

• Viewers can turn closed captions on or off, while open captions are always visible and cannot be disabled.
• Closed captions are encoded separately from the video file, while open captions are burned directly onto the video and are a permanent part of the visual content.
• Closed captions generally have adjustable font size, etc., giving viewers control over the captions’ appearance.

4. Should I use subtitles with or without CC?

It depends on your audience’s specific needs. Closed captions (CC) are best for accessibility for hard-of-hearing individuals, as they include non-verbal audio cues like sound effects.

However, subtitles and closed captions help reach a wider audience, as subtitles called closed captions focus primarily on translating spoken dialogue for better language comprehension.

5. Are captions and subtitles the same?

No. Though both provide a text version of audio content, there are differences.

6. What is the difference between captions, subtitles, and transcripts?

Captions, subtitles, and transcripts are distinct tools with unique functions. Closed captions offer a comprehensive text description of both spoken and non-spoken sounds, enhancing accessibility for Deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.

Subtitles translate spoken language, making content more accessible to non-native speakers. Transcripts provide a written account of spoken language, often used for study, documentation, or legal purposes.

7. Why are subtitles called CC?

The term “CC” stands for “closed captions,” not subtitles. This abbreviation is used widely in media to identify accessible content. Closed captions provide a text version of spoken dialogue and non-speech audio elements, making content accessible for Deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.

8. What is the difference between subtitles and open captions?

Subtitles primarily translate the spoken language for viewers who don’t understand the original language. Open captions are permanently embedded into the video and cannot be turned off, providing a text description of dialogue and audio cues. This makes open video captions particularly useful for Deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers as they don’t rely on external settings to appear.

Conclusion

Before creating accessible video content, understand the distinct roles of closed captions and subtitles. Closed captioning captions let deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers access spoken dialogue and non-speech audio cues, while subtitles translate spoken dialogue for non-native speakers.

Incorporating closed captions and subtitles into your videos can significantly enhance accessibility and expand your audience reach.

For professional guidance on making your content more inclusive, consider connecting with ADA Site Compliance. Our expertise can help ensure that your videos are accessible, engaging, and tailored to the needs of a diverse audience.

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