Read the Bible with karaoke highlighting

In Bible Steps, the Karaoke style highlights the current word as you move through a Scripture passage. Choose your reading pace, follow along silently or aloud, and pause to reflect. This guide explains how to use the style in the iPhone app.

By Jon T · Updated September 28, 2026

Bible Karaoke is also the name of SIL’s Windows software for creating Scripture read-along videos from text and recorded audio. This guide covers the Karaoke reading style in Bible Steps. If you want to produce videos, visit SIL’s Bible Karaoke project.

What is Bible karaoke?

On a karaoke screen, the lyrics light up as the song goes, so you can follow along. Bible karaoke borrows that idea for reading: the current word is highlighted as you move through a passage at a steady pace. It doesn’t involve singing. You can read silently, or out loud on your own or with others. You can try the highlighting on a verse further down this page.

What the Karaoke style does

• It marks the current word. Pause or return to the passage if you miss something.
• It keeps a steady pace. The passage moves at the speed you set, and you can slow it down whenever you need to.
• It gives a group a common visual cue. When you read together from one screen, adjust the pace to the people reading.
• It sets the active word apart. The current word stands out from the surrounding text. Try the style and choose what feels comfortable.

For memorization, read a short passage, then look away and try to recall it. Highlighting alone does not guarantee that a verse will stick.

How fast should Bible karaoke go?

Choose a pace that lets you understand the passage and pause comfortably. A 2019 review estimated average adult English reading rates of 183 words per minute aloud and 238 for silent nonfiction reading. These are general benchmarks, not recommended speeds for Bible karaoke. Reading with children or a group may require a slower pace. If you cannot explain the passage afterward, pause and reread it.

To see how long a book or the whole Bible takes at a given pace, use the reading-time calculator.

How to use the Karaoke style in Bible Steps

1. Install Bible Steps on your iPhone.
2. Select a passage and a translation.
3. Choose Karaoke from the caption styles.
4. Set a comfortable reading pace and start playback.
5. Pause when you want time to think.

Bible Steps also has other caption styles if you’d like a different look.

A short reading practice

Start with a short passage in a familiar translation. Read at an easy pace, pause, and explain its main point in your own words. Return to any phrase you missed. When reading together, agree on a pace and discuss what stood out. This verse works well for a first try; press Play to see it highlighted word by word:

Reading aloud together

Reading together is optional. If you’d like to try it:

• Start short. A psalm or a single story is plenty.
• Agree on a pace. Groups usually need a slower pace than one person reading silently.
• Take turns. Let each person lead a verse or a paragraph.
• Pause and talk. Stop after a passage and ask what stood out.
• Use a screen everyone can read.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Karaoke style look like?

It highlights the current word as the passage moves at the pace you choose, so you can follow along.

Do I have to sing or read out loud?

No. There’s no singing involved. Read silently, or out loud if you’d like.

Can I change the speed or pause?

Yes. Set the reading pace that suits you, and pause whenever you want more time with a verse.

Is Bible karaoke good for reading with kids?

Try a short passage together, choose text that’s easy to read, and stop often to talk about it.

Will it help me memorize verses?

You can use the style while practicing a passage, but highlighting alone does not guarantee memorization. Read, pause, and try recalling the words before looking back.

Which devices does Bible Steps work on?

Bible Steps is an iPhone app. An Android version is coming soon.

What does Bible Steps cost?

Bible Steps is free to download on iPhone. Some features may require a subscription; current options and prices are shown in the app and on the App Store. The Terms of Service explain how subscriptions and free trials work.