---
title: "Listen first with hidden subtitles · NoaLingua"
description: "Blur both subtitle lines until you listen, replay the sentence if needed, then reveal the original and translation in stages without leaving the video."
url: "https://noalingua.com/features/listen-first-subtitles/"
language: "en"
modified: "2026-10-14"
license: "CC BY 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
---
Feature

# Listen first, then reveal the subtitles

Keep subtitles available as a check without letting your eyes answer first

In short

Listen first blurs both subtitle lines when a new sentence begins, so you must hear it before you read it. Press V once to reveal the original and again for the translation, or pause to show both. The text stays available as a check without taking over the first attempt.

Fit

## Who Listen first is for

Choose it for the workflow it actually supports, not for a promise the product does not make.

### Best for

- Learners who want subtitles available as a check after making a real listening attempt.
- People moving from reading-supported comprehension towards recognising the same words by sound.

### Not the right fit for

- Casual viewing where blurred lines would create unwanted friction.
- Material far above the learner’s level, where hiding text cannot make the audio comprehensible.

How to use it

## How to use Listen first in NoaLingua

- 1

### Turn on Listen first

Open Settings → Appearance and enable Listen first.
- 2

### Listen while both lines are blurred

Every new sentence begins hidden. Repeat or slow the sentence if you need another attempt.
- 3

### Reveal in two stages

Press V for the original and V again for the translation. Pausing reveals both when you want to inspect the line.

Mechanism

## Why NoaLingua behaves this way

### Why hiding is different from removing subtitles

Many learners want to listen first but still need text for a difficult phrase. Removing captions entirely makes that check slow; leaving them visible makes reading almost automatic.

A staged reveal keeps the answer one key away. It supports a listen, check and listen-again loop without changing subtitle tracks or opening another panel.

### Why blurred words are not clickable

A dictionary popup would reveal the word before you had identified it. While the original is blurred, hover and click are disabled with it.

Once revealed, the line behaves like every other NoaLingua subtitle: words are clickable and savable with their sentence context.

## Common questions about NoaLingua

Does pausing reveal the subtitle?

Yes. A pause shows both lines so you can inspect the sentence at the moment you chose to stop.

Can I reveal only the original?

Yes. The first V press reveals the original; the second reveals the translation.

Can I click a hidden word?

No. Hidden original text cannot be clicked or hovered because that would expose the answer.

Does it work with sentence replay?

Yes. Repeat and slow replay let you hear the same hidden sentence again before revealing it.

## More NoaLingua features to read next

[Feature Auto-pause Stops on the real boundary, and holds the sentence you were listening to.](https://noalingua.com/features/auto-pause/)[Feature YouTube dual subtitles Original and translation together, rebuilt into sentences, every word clickable.](https://noalingua.com/features/youtube-dual-subtitles/)[Feature Shadowing & Say It Back Whole-video shadowing, single-sentence drilling, and scored pronunciation feedback.](https://noalingua.com/features/shadowing/) [Reference Hide the translation until you try How staged support changes a dual-subtitle session.](https://noalingua.com/answers/hide-the-translation-until-you-try/)

## Listen first is on the free plan. So is everything else.

Free, with every feature. No account, nothing to cancel, and your deck stays on your machine.

[Add to Chrome — Free Add to Chrome](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/noalingua-%E2%80%94-beyond-dual-s/ocimolffhgpeeoifjpjhgikgfbnmlkdh) Opens the Chrome Web Store listing **NoaLingua — beyond dual subs: video, web, PDF** — free, no account, Chrome 138 or newer.

- [Free, and not a trial Every feature on the free plan — both PDF modes, shadowing, all 30 practice formats.](https://noalingua.com/pricing/)
- [No account, no email Nothing to sign up for and nothing to cancel. There is no login screen at all.](https://noalingua.com/privacy/)
- [Two dropdowns to set up Pick what you are learning and what you want translations in. That is the whole setup.](https://noalingua.com/getting-started/)
- [Your words stay yours Export to Anki, CSV, a spreadsheet or a full JSON profile — free on every plan.](https://noalingua.com/docs/export-import/)

[What happens after you install](https://noalingua.com/getting-started/) · [Pricing](https://noalingua.com/pricing/) · [What it cannot do](https://noalingua.com/limits/)