Levitating Text Effect
Each letter hovers on its own rhythm above a soft shadow that shrinks and fades as the letter rises. The shadow counter-moves with the same timing, so it stays on the floor.
Also known as: floating letters, hovering text with shadow, anti gravity text.
HTML
<div class="txt-levitating-text" aria-label="Anti-gravity"><span aria-hidden="true"><span style="--i: 0">A</span><span style="--i: 1">n</span><span style="--i: 2">t</span><span style="--i: 3">i</span><span style="--i: 4">-</span><span style="--i: 5">g</span><span style="--i: 6">r</span><span style="--i: 7">a</span><span style="--i: 8">v</span><span style="--i: 9">i</span><span style="--i: 10">t</span><span style="--i: 11">y</span></span></div>
CSS
.txt-levitating-text {
--c: var(--txt-color, #3b82f6);
font-size: var(--txt-size, 32px);
font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
font-weight: 700;
line-height: 1.2;
color: var(--c);
padding-bottom: 0.3em;}
.txt-levitating-text span span {
position: relative;
display: inline-block;
animation: txt-levitating-text-lift 3.2s ease-in-out infinite;
/* 0.7s steps scatter the phases so letters float independently */
animation-delay: calc(var(--i) * -0.7s);
}
.txt-levitating-text span span::after {
content: "";
position: absolute;
left: 0;
right: 0;
bottom: -0.32em;
height: 0.16em;
border-radius: 50%;
background: radial-gradient(closest-side, color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 55%, transparent), transparent);
animation: txt-levitating-text-shadow 3.2s ease-in-out infinite;
animation-delay: calc(var(--i) * -0.7s);
}
@keyframes txt-levitating-text-lift {
0%, 100% { transform: translateY(0); }
50% { transform: translateY(-0.3em); }
}
@keyframes txt-levitating-text-shadow {
0%, 100% { transform: translateY(0) scaleX(1); opacity: 1; }
50% { transform: translateY(0.3em) scaleX(0.55); opacity: 0.35; }
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.txt-levitating-text, .txt-levitating-text *, .txt-levitating-text::before, .txt-levitating-text::after, .txt-levitating-text *::before, .txt-levitating-text *::after {
animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
}
}Customizing this snippet
- Color: set
--txt-coloron the element or a parent. Currently previewing#3b82f6. - Font size: set
--txt-size. Every other dimension is inem, so the whole thing scales together. Currently previewing40px. - Speed: change the duration on the
transitionoranimationshorthand. Staggered delays are relative, so they keep their rhythm. - Reduced motion: the rule at the end of the CSS turns the motion off for people who asked their OS for less of it. Keep it.