Decide what viewers should hear and what they should read
A misspelled guest name, a filler word you want out of the captions, and a sentence you want out of the episode are three different problems. Treating all of them as deleting text can shorten the interview when you only meant to tidy the captions. Before touching the script, write two lines: what viewers should hear, and what they should read.
This guide compares Descript's current help pages, read on 29 October 2026. We have not performed these edits in an account. Older tutorials may show different menus; prefer the named operation over a remembered shortcut.
Four operations, four outcomes
A text correction does not change what the speaker said. If the recording contains a factual mistake, fixing only the caption creates a mismatch between sound and text. That calls for an explicit correction, a new recording or an explained edit, not a silent caption change.
| You want to | Operation | What changes | Check afterwards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fix a misheard name | Correct (C) or Correct All | Transcript text only; audio and video untouched [1] | Spelling, and that the speaker really said that name |
| Keep a filler word audible but out of captions | Remove from transcript | Hidden from script, captions and exported transcripts; media stays [2] | The word is still heard but absent from the caption file |
| Cut a spoken phrase | Delete or Backspace | Removed from both transcript and media [2] | The cut sounds clean and duration dropped as expected |
| Mark a possible cut for later | Ignore | Text crossed out but still visible in the script [2] | Review crossed-out text before final export |
| Leave speech and captions as they are | Nothing in Descript | No change | Do not buy a transcript editor for an unchanged deliverable |
Where each command lives
- Correct: double-click a word, then click Correct in the hover toolbar or press C, and type the fix. [1]
- Correct All: offered with Correct; Descript describes it as fixing every instance of that word in the project. [1]
- Correct text mode for bulk fixes: Opt+C on Mac, Alt+C on Windows. [1]
- Capitalisation: hold Z and click a word. Punctuation: hold X and click a word. On Windows, if these do nothing, the touchpad may be disabled while typing; use an external mouse or change touchpad settings. [1]
- After a correction, Descript re-analyses alignment and shows a dotted grey underline while it runs. [1]
- Remove from transcript and Ignore: right-click selected text. Restore removed media: right-click the edit boundary. [2]
Worked example: one interview, three fixes
Invented case: a guest named Siobhan is transcribed as Shivon in six places, says um before every answer, and repeats one sentence. The editor uses Correct All for the name, but first reads all six instances, because Correct All changes every match in the project. [1]
For the filler words, the brief says keep the natural speech but give clean captions, so the editor uses Remove from transcript: the um stays audible and disappears from the caption export. [2] For the repeated sentence, the editor selects the first take and presses Delete, which removes it from the media too, then plays across the cut. If the cut sounds wrong, right-clicking the boundary and choosing Restore removed media brings it back. [2]
Run a small check before applying an edit everywhere
- Use a short recording you own with one name, one filler word and one sentence you could cut.
- Note the starting duration and what you expect to hear and read.
- Make one type of change at a time.
- Play from before each edit to after it.
- Export the actual deliverable, caption file, transcript or captioned video, and inspect that, not just the editor preview.
- If a caption-only change shortened the speech, you used Delete instead of Remove from transcript.
Do you need to pay for this?
Descript's pricing page on 29 October 2026 listed Free at $0 with 1 media hour a month and 720p export that is not watermark-free, and Hobbyist at $24 billed monthly or $16 a month billed annually with 10 media hours and 1080p watermark-free export. [3] If your current editor already produces the cut and captions you need, a spelling fix can be made directly in the subtitle file. Upgrade only for a capability you have actually hit, such as watermark-free export of the edited video.
Questions before you decide
Does Correct change the recording?
No. Descript says correcting the transcript changes the text without altering the audio or video underneath. It then re-analyses alignment, shown by a dotted grey underline.
How do I remove a filler word from captions but keep it audible?
Use Remove from transcript. Descript says it keeps the audio or video but hides the text from the script, captions and exported transcripts. Delete or Backspace would remove it from the media too.
Can I undo a Delete in the script?
Descript describes editing as non-destructive: deleted media stays in the file and is hidden from the composition. Right-click the edit boundary and choose Restore removed media.
What does Ignore do?
Descript says Ignore crosses the text out but keeps it visible in the script. Review crossed-out text before final export so you know what the deliverable contains.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Descript Help: Correct your transcript Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Descript Help: Edit like a doc Accessed 29 Oct 2026
- Descript: Pricing Accessed 29 Oct 2026
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