Why do my Hebrew subtitles come out backwards?

Usually because the caption's paragraph direction is left to right. Punctuation and numbers then take the wrong side. Set the direction to right to left, or use a tool built for Hebrew, and check the end of each line.

Should I burn captions in or upload a file?

Burn them in for Shorts, Reels and TikTok. For YouTube, also upload the SRT file as a caption track.

Hebrew captions for Reels, TikTok and Shorts that read right

Hebrew runs right to left; English words, numbers and most punctuation are laid out by different rules. When a tool doesn't handle the mix, a caption can look backwards. Here is why, how to check, and how to fix it in any tool.

Why Hebrew captions break

Text that mixes directions is ordered by the Unicode bidirectional algorithm (bidi). Hebrew letters are right to left, Latin letters left to right, and punctuation, spaces and many symbols take the direction of what's around them. If a caption's paragraph direction is set to left to right, a full stop at the end of a Hebrew line jumps to the right-hand side, where the Hebrew line starts, and a line that ends with an English word or a number comes out in the wrong order.

How to check a caption

A full stop, question mark or comma at the end of a line: is it on the left of the Hebrew, where it belongs?
Numbers, dates and percentages: do they read in the right order, and does the number sit where it was said?
@handles, product names and English words in the middle of a Hebrew line.
Prices with the shekel sign, and anything in brackets or quotation marks.

How to fix it in any tool

Set the caption's text direction to right to left. Desktop editors keep this in different places, sometimes as a separate text engine or paragraph setting for right-to-left scripts, and where it lives changes between versions; look in the caption track's or text layer's settings.
If a line still breaks, a right-to-left mark (RLM, an invisible direction character) after a number or an English word at the end of the line often holds the punctuation in place. Test it in the app you post to: not every app keeps it.
Check the finished video on a phone, not only in the editor. Some tools show the text right in the editor and render it wrong.

Always proofread names and slang

Automatic captions get names, brands, slang and fast speech wrong more often than anything else. Read every line once, with the sound on.

Size and placement

Large enough to read on a phone at arm's length, a few words a line, and clear of the bottom and the right-hand side, where the apps put their own caption, buttons and profile. The apps' layouts change and vendors' measurements disagree, so preview the video in each app before you post.

Burned in, or a captions file?

Burned-in captions are part of the picture: they look the same everywhere and can't be turned off. A captions file (SRT) is separate: YouTube can show it as a caption track that viewers turn on and that stays searchable. For Shorts, Reels and TikTok, burn them in; for YouTube, add the file as well.

Where ion fits, and where it doesn't

What ion does here

Built for Hebrew first: ion was built for Hebrew first: captions run right to left, and English words, numbers, prices and @handles stay in place. It works in English too, and in videos that mix both.
Live captions. Word by word, stressing what matters.
Caption looks in Clips: Pop, Spotlight, Impact, Glow, Boxed, Sweep, Editorial, Hype, Punch, Neon, Headline, Paper, Subtle. Follow the spoken word: The word being said lights up in the look's colour. Off keeps each line steady.
Captions file: A finished video and each clip can be downloaded with their captions as an SRT file.

Where ion isn't the tool

Languages other than Hebrew and English. ion is built for those two; other languages aren't supported.
Proofreading for you. The spelling fixes are a tool: read names and numbers before you post.

Short answers

Why do my Hebrew subtitles come out backwards?: Usually because the caption's paragraph direction is left to right. Punctuation and numbers then take the wrong side. Set the direction to right to left, or use a tool built for Hebrew, and check the end of each line.
Should I burn captions in or upload a file?: Burn them in for Shorts, Reels and TikTok. For YouTube, also upload the SRT file as a caption track.

Sources

YouTube Help: Add subtitles & captions (read 2026-11-01)

More guides

Updated: 2026-11-01