Swinging Text Animation
Letters hang on strings from a rail and swing. Each one has a slightly longer period than the last, like the pendulum wave toy, so the row keeps drifting in and out of patterns.
Also known as: hanging letters, pendulum text animation, swinging sign letters.
HTML
<div class="txt-swinging-text" aria-label="Welcome"><span aria-hidden="true"><span style="--i: 0">W</span><span style="--i: 1">E</span><span style="--i: 2">L</span><span style="--i: 3">C</span><span style="--i: 4">O</span><span style="--i: 5">M</span><span style="--i: 6">E</span></span></div>
CSS
.txt-swinging-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);}
.txt-swinging-text > span {
display: inline-block;
padding: 0.55em 0.2em 0;
border-top: 0.06em solid color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 55%, transparent);
border-radius: 0.03em;
}
.txt-swinging-text span span {
position: relative;
display: inline-block;
margin: 0 0.05em;
/* the pivot is on the rail, 0.55em above the letter */
transform-origin: 50% -0.55em;
animation: txt-swinging-text-swing calc(1.3s + var(--i) * 0.07s) ease-in-out infinite alternate;
animation-delay: calc(var(--i) * -0.2s);
}
.txt-swinging-text span span::before {
content: "";
position: absolute;
top: -0.55em;
left: 50%;
width: 1px;
height: 0.85em;
background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--c) 55%, transparent);
}
@keyframes txt-swinging-text-swing {
from { transform: rotate(10deg); }
to { transform: rotate(-10deg); }
}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.txt-swinging-text, .txt-swinging-text *, .txt-swinging-text::before, .txt-swinging-text::after, .txt-swinging-text *::before, .txt-swinging-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.