voiceover
VOYS-oh-ver
/ˈvɔɪsəʊvər/
Off-screen narrative audio or commentary in a video, film, commercial, or broadcast where the speaker is heard but not seen on screen.
Focuses on off-camera spoken commentary layered over visual media content.
The story behind the word. Coined in the 1930s during the early sound era in cinema. It combined 'voice' (from Latin vox) and 'over' to describe recorded voice tracks placed over visual documentary newsreels.
Word relationships
- narration: Narration is storytelling generally, whereas voiceover specifically denotes recorded speech layered off-camera over video.
- on-screen dialogue: On-screen dialogue occurs when actors speak visibly inside the video frame.
Commonly confused with
- subtitles: Subtitles are text displayed at the bottom of the screen, while a voiceover is spoken spoken audio narration.
Word family
- voice-over artist (noun): A voice actor who records commentary or dialogue for media off-screen.
Collocations
- voiceover artist
- dramatic voiceover
- provide a voiceover
- voiceover narration
Example sentences
- "The nature documentary featured a soothing voiceover explaining the migratory patterns of birds." Documentary production
- "An energetic voiceover described the car's features while dynamic drive footage played on screen." Commercial advertising
Memory hook
A spoken VOICE placed OVER top of silent video pictures. Heard but unseen narrator.
When not to use
Do not use for visible on-screen actor dialogue.
Fun facts
- Voice actor Don LaFontaine recorded over 5,000 movie trailers during his career, earning the title 'King of Voiceovers' for his iconic deep catchphrase 'In a world...'.
Related words
Explore more words
commentary, soliloquy, flashback, voice, monologue, exposition
Also appears in
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