TranscriptYTHow to get a TED Talk transcript
- 1
Find the talk on YouTube
TED, TEDx, and TED-Ed all publish their talks on YouTube. Copy the video's link.
- 2
Paste it above
TED talks have human-made captions, so the transcript is accurate and well punctuated.
- 3
Read, quote, or translate
Copy a passage, translate the talk with the original above each line, or download it as PDF.
Read a talk in five minutes
Most TED Talks run 10 to 20 minutes. The transcript reads in a few, and the timestamps let you jump to the part worth watching.
Practice a language with TED
Language learners read the transcript in the language they are learning with a translation underneath, then listen again. TED's accurate captions make it one of the best sources for this.
Need more?
Need transcripts at scale? Use the API
The same transcripts are available through the YouTube Transcript API: timestamped JSON, text, SRT, VTT, CSV, or Markdown, 150+ languages, and AI transcription for videos without captions. Or connect the YouTube MCP server to Claude, Cursor, or Codex and just paste links in chat.
curl "https://transcript-yt.com/v1/transcript?url=5f3Pn-N6yLc&format=text" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer ts_live_..."
Common questions
Are TED Talk transcripts accurate?
Yes. TED uploads human-made captions for its main talks, often in dozens of languages. TEDx talks more often use auto-captions.
Can I get a TED Talk transcript in another language?
Yes. Pick one of the talk's caption languages, or translate it into any of 150+ languages.
Can I use TED transcripts in class?
Teachers use them for reading and listening exercises. Download the text as PDF, or turn timestamps off for a clean handout. Check TED's usage policy for anything you publish.
Can I summarize a TED Talk?
Yes. Open the Summary tab for the main idea and key points, or Notes for an outline with timestamps.