30 Tailwind CSS Text Hover Effects
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All 30 in 30 Tailwind CSS Text Hover Effects

  1. 01Tailwind CSS Animated Underline Hover Effect
  2. 02Tailwind Liquid Text Fill Hover Animation
  3. 03Tailwind Gradient Text Hover Effect with bg-clip-text
  4. 04Tailwind Animated Strikethrough Text Hover Effect
  5. 05Tailwind Text Swap and Flip Up Hover Effect
  6. 06Tailwind CSS Glitch Text Hover Effect
  7. 07Tailwind Neon Glow Text with Flicker Animation
  8. 08Tailwind Metallic Gold Shimmer Text Effect
  9. 09Tailwind 3D Text Pop and Lift Hover Effect
  10. 10Tailwind Staggered Letter Wave Hover Animation
  11. 11Tailwind Spotlight Text Reveal on Mouse Hover
  12. 12Tailwind Hover to Reveal Hidden Spoiler Text
  13. 13Tailwind Blur to Focus Text Hover Effect
  14. 14Tailwind Magnetic Hover Effect for Buttons and Text
  15. 15Tailwind Letter Spacing Expand on Hover (Tracking Animation)
  16. 16Tailwind Outline Text Stroke to Fill Hover Effect
  17. 17Tailwind Text Scramble and Matrix Decrypt Hover Effect
  18. 18Tailwind Animated Border Button Hover Effect
  19. 19Tailwind Elastic Rubber Band Text Hover Animation
  20. 20Tailwind Variable Font Weight Hover Animation
  21. 21Tailwind Animated Rainbow Gradient Text on Hover
  22. 22Tailwind 3D Perspective Tilt Text Hover Effect
  23. 23Tailwind Smoke Dissolve Text Hover Effect
  24. 24Tailwind Fire Text Effect with Heat Wave Glow
  25. 25Tailwind Dynamic Text Shadow that Follows the Cursor
  26. 26Tailwind Infinite Text Marquee that Speeds Up on Hover
  27. 27Tailwind Duotone Split Color Text Hover Effect
  28. 28Tailwind CSS Tooltip on Hover (No JavaScript)
  29. 29Tailwind SVG Water Ripple Distortion Text Effect
  30. 30Tailwind Clip-Path Text Reveal Hover Animation
Tailwind v4MIT licensed

Tailwind SVG Water Ripple Distortion Text Effect

A surf-report wordmark that slips underwater on hover: a hidden SVG filter (feTurbulence + feDisplacementMap, with an animated baseFrequency) distorts an aqua clone, applied with [filter:url(#tth29-ripple)]. Because filter:url() can't transition, the crisp word and the rippled clone crossfade instead.

Live Demo
Plain CSSTailwind v4
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The code

<section class="tth-29 w-full min-h-svh grid place-items-center bg-tth29-bg bg-[radial-gradient(100%_85%_at_50%_100%,var(--color-tth29-deep),var(--color-tth29-bg)_70%)] px-5 py-14 font-tth29-sans text-tth29-ink" aria-label="Ripple distortion text demo">
  <svg width="0" height="0" class="absolute" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><filter id="tth29-ripple" x="-25%" y="-25%" width="150%" height="150%"><feTurbulence type="turbulence" baseFrequency="0.012 0.05" numOctaves="2" seed="4" result="n"><animate attributeName="baseFrequency" dur="7s" values="0.012 0.05; 0.017 0.09; 0.012 0.05" repeatCount="indefinite"/></feTurbulence><feDisplacementMap in="SourceGraphic" in2="n" scale="16" xChannelSelector="R" yChannelSelector="G"/></filter></svg>
  <div class="flex flex-col items-center gap-[clamp(16px,3vw,26px)] text-center">
    <p class="text-xs font-bold uppercase tracking-[0.26em] text-tth29-mut">Undertow &mdash; surf &amp; swell reports, delivered at dawn</p>
    <a id="tth29-top" href="#tth29-top" class="group/word relative inline-block rounded-md px-[0.12em] py-[0.15em] font-tth29-display text-[clamp(64px,14vw,150px)] font-black uppercase leading-none tracking-[0.01em] no-underline focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-8 focus-visible:outline-tth29-acc">
      <span class="block opacity-100 transition-[opacity,color] duration-600 group-hover/word:opacity-6 group-focus-visible/word:opacity-6 motion-reduce:transition-none motion-reduce:group-hover/word:opacity-100 motion-reduce:group-hover/word:text-tth29-acc">UNDERTOW</span>
      <span aria-hidden="true" class="absolute inset-x-[0.12em] inset-y-[0.15em] block text-tth29-acc opacity-0 [filter:url(#tth29-ripple)] transition-opacity duration-600 group-hover/word:opacity-100 group-focus-visible/word:opacity-100 motion-reduce:hidden">UNDERTOW</span>
    </a>
    <svg viewBox="0 0 220 14" aria-hidden="true" class="w-[min(220px,60%)] text-tth29-acc/55"><path fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2.5" stroke-linecap="round" d="M2 7 Q 15 1, 28 7 T 54 7 T 80 7 T 106 7 T 132 7 T 158 7 T 184 7 T 210 7"><animate attributeName="d" dur="2.6s" repeatCount="indefinite" values="M2 7 Q 15 1, 28 7 T 54 7 T 80 7 T 106 7 T 132 7 T 158 7 T 184 7 T 210 7; M2 7 Q 15 13, 28 7 T 54 7 T 80 7 T 106 7 T 132 7 T 158 7 T 184 7 T 210 7; M2 7 Q 15 1, 28 7 T 54 7 T 80 7 T 106 7 T 132 7 T 158 7 T 184 7 T 210 7"/></path></svg>
    <form class="flex w-full max-w-md flex-wrap justify-center gap-2" onsubmit="return false" aria-label="Subscribe to dawn reports">
      <label for="tth29-email" class="sr-only">Email address</label>
      <input id="tth29-email" type="email" placeholder="you@lineup.surf" class="min-h-12 min-w-0 flex-1 rounded-full border border-tth29-ink/20 bg-white/5 px-5 text-[15px] text-tth29-ink placeholder:text-tth29-mut focus:border-tth29-acc focus:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-tth29-acc/40">
      <button type="submit" class="min-h-12 cursor-pointer rounded-full bg-tth29-acc px-6 text-[15px] font-bold text-tth29-bg transition-[translate,box-shadow] duration-300 hover:-translate-y-0.5 hover:shadow-[0_10px_30px_-8px_var(--color-tth29-acc)] focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-[3px] focus-visible:outline-tth29-acc">Get the dawn report</button>
    </form>
    <p class="max-w-[58ch] text-[12.5px] leading-[1.7] text-tth29-mut">Hover the wordmark &mdash; it slips underwater. <code class="rounded bg-tth29-chip px-1.5 py-px font-tth29-mono text-[0.9em] text-tth29-acc">feTurbulence</code> + <code class="rounded bg-tth29-chip px-1.5 py-px font-tth29-mono text-[0.9em] text-tth29-acc">feDisplacementMap</code> do the physics; a crossfaded clone hides that <code class="rounded bg-tth29-chip px-1.5 py-px font-tth29-mono text-[0.9em] text-tth29-acc">filter:url()</code> can't transition.</p>
  </div>
</section>
@import "tailwindcss";

@theme {
  --color-tth29-bg: #0a1a22;
  --color-tth29-bg: oklch(0.17 0.025 230);
  --color-tth29-deep: #0f2e3d;
  --color-tth29-deep: oklch(0.24 0.05 220);
  --color-tth29-chip: #13252f;
  --color-tth29-chip: oklch(0.24 0.03 225);
  --color-tth29-ink: #e3f2f6;
  --color-tth29-ink: oklch(0.94 0.02 210);
  --color-tth29-mut: #8fa9b5;
  --color-tth29-mut: oklch(0.71 0.04 220);
  --color-tth29-acc: #5fd6e0;
  --color-tth29-acc: oklch(0.8 0.12 195);
  --font-tth29-display: 'Big Shoulders Display', Impact, sans-serif;
  --font-tth29-sans: 'Outfit', system-ui, sans-serif;
  --font-tth29-mono: 'JetBrains Mono', ui-monospace, monospace;
}

.tth-29 {
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100svh;
}

Setup — do this once per project

Skip this if your project already runs Tailwind v4.

1Load Tailwind
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@tailwindcss/browser@4"></script>

Compiles in the browser — perfect for a CodePen or a quick test, not for production.

2Add the stylesheetRequiredthe @theme block is what makes the custom utilities exist
@import "tailwindcss";

@theme {
  --color-tth29-bg: #0a1a22;
  --color-tth29-bg: oklch(0.17 0.025 230);
  --color-tth29-deep: #0f2e3d;
  --color-tth29-deep: oklch(0.24 0.05 220);
  --color-tth29-chip: #13252f;
  --color-tth29-chip: oklch(0.24 0.03 225);
  --color-tth29-ink: #e3f2f6;
  --color-tth29-ink: oklch(0.94 0.02 210);
  --color-tth29-mut: #8fa9b5;
  --color-tth29-mut: oklch(0.71 0.04 220);
  --color-tth29-acc: #5fd6e0;
  --color-tth29-acc: oklch(0.8 0.12 195);
  --font-tth29-display: 'Big Shoulders Display', Impact, sans-serif;
  --font-tth29-sans: 'Outfit', system-ui, sans-serif;
  --font-tth29-mono: 'JetBrains Mono', ui-monospace, monospace;
}

.tth-29 {
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100svh;
}
3Fonts used by this demooptional — skip if you have your own type stack
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Big+Shoulders+Display:wght@700..900&family=Outfit:wght@400;600;700&family=JetBrains+Mono:wght@400;600&display=swap">

What changed in the port

Which parts became utilities, which stayed CSS, and why.

  • filter:url(#cth29-ripple) became the arbitrary property [filter:url(#tth29-ripple)]; the SVG filter id is namespaced because ids are document-global.
  • The reduced-motion media block became motion-reduce:hidden on the clone and motion-reduce:group-hover/word:text-tth29-acc on the crisp word.
  • UI upgrade from the CSS original: a working subscribe form (labelled input + 48px button) gives the surf brand an actual conversion point under the hero.
  • UI upgrade: Big Shoulders Display's tall condensed caps show far more ripple per letter, and muted copy rose from 0.6 to 0.71 L (6.6:1).
Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or any coding assistant. The block below is pre-framed with everything the AI needs to integrate this demo into your project — markup, styles, scoping notes, and the source URL. Hit Copy and paste straight into your chat.
Here's a working CSS demo from CodeFronts. Use it as-is or adapt to your framework. All classes are scoped under a unique prefix so the code won't collide with your existing styles. MIT licensed.
Demo: Tailwind SVG Water Ripple Distortion Text Effect
Source: https://codefronts.com/motion/tailwind-css-text-hover-effects/tailwind-svg-water-ripple-distortion-text-effect/

A surf-report wordmark that slips underwater on hover: a hidden SVG filter (feTurbulence + feDisplacementMap, with an animated baseFrequency) distorts an aqua clone, applied with [filter:url(#tth29-ripple)]. Because filter:url() can't transition, the crisp word and the rippled clone crossfade instead.
## HTML
```html
<section class="tth-29 w-full min-h-svh grid place-items-center bg-tth29-bg bg-[radial-gradient(100%_85%_at_50%_100%,var(--color-tth29-deep),var(--color-tth29-bg)_70%)] px-5 py-14 font-tth29-sans text-tth29-ink" aria-label="Ripple distortion text demo">
  <svg width="0" height="0" class="absolute" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><filter id="tth29-ripple" x="-25%" y="-25%" width="150%" height="150%"><feTurbulence type="turbulence" baseFrequency="0.012 0.05" numOctaves="2" seed="4" result="n"><animate attributeName="baseFrequency" dur="7s" values="0.012 0.05; 0.017 0.09; 0.012 0.05" repeatCount="indefinite"/></feTurbulence><feDisplacementMap in="SourceGraphic" in2="n" scale="16" xChannelSelector="R" yChannelSelector="G"/></filter></svg>
  <div class="flex flex-col items-center gap-[clamp(16px,3vw,26px)] text-center">
    <p class="text-xs font-bold uppercase tracking-[0.26em] text-tth29-mut">Undertow &mdash; surf &amp; swell reports, delivered at dawn</p>
    <a id="tth29-top" href="#tth29-top" class="group/word relative inline-block rounded-md px-[0.12em] py-[0.15em] font-tth29-display text-[clamp(64px,14vw,150px)] font-black uppercase leading-none tracking-[0.01em] no-underline focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-8 focus-visible:outline-tth29-acc">
      <span class="block opacity-100 transition-[opacity,color] duration-600 group-hover/word:opacity-6 group-focus-visible/word:opacity-6 motion-reduce:transition-none motion-reduce:group-hover/word:opacity-100 motion-reduce:group-hover/word:text-tth29-acc">UNDERTOW</span>
      <span aria-hidden="true" class="absolute inset-x-[0.12em] inset-y-[0.15em] block text-tth29-acc opacity-0 [filter:url(#tth29-ripple)] transition-opacity duration-600 group-hover/word:opacity-100 group-focus-visible/word:opacity-100 motion-reduce:hidden">UNDERTOW</span>
    </a>
    <svg viewBox="0 0 220 14" aria-hidden="true" class="w-[min(220px,60%)] text-tth29-acc/55"><path fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2.5" stroke-linecap="round" d="M2 7 Q 15 1, 28 7 T 54 7 T 80 7 T 106 7 T 132 7 T 158 7 T 184 7 T 210 7"><animate attributeName="d" dur="2.6s" repeatCount="indefinite" values="M2 7 Q 15 1, 28 7 T 54 7 T 80 7 T 106 7 T 132 7 T 158 7 T 184 7 T 210 7; M2 7 Q 15 13, 28 7 T 54 7 T 80 7 T 106 7 T 132 7 T 158 7 T 184 7 T 210 7; M2 7 Q 15 1, 28 7 T 54 7 T 80 7 T 106 7 T 132 7 T 158 7 T 184 7 T 210 7"/></path></svg>
    <form class="flex w-full max-w-md flex-wrap justify-center gap-2" onsubmit="return false" aria-label="Subscribe to dawn reports">
      <label for="tth29-email" class="sr-only">Email address</label>
      <input id="tth29-email" type="email" placeholder="you@lineup.surf" class="min-h-12 min-w-0 flex-1 rounded-full border border-tth29-ink/20 bg-white/5 px-5 text-[15px] text-tth29-ink placeholder:text-tth29-mut focus:border-tth29-acc focus:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-tth29-acc/40">
      <button type="submit" class="min-h-12 cursor-pointer rounded-full bg-tth29-acc px-6 text-[15px] font-bold text-tth29-bg transition-[translate,box-shadow] duration-300 hover:-translate-y-0.5 hover:shadow-[0_10px_30px_-8px_var(--color-tth29-acc)] focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-[3px] focus-visible:outline-tth29-acc">Get the dawn report</button>
    </form>
    <p class="max-w-[58ch] text-[12.5px] leading-[1.7] text-tth29-mut">Hover the wordmark &mdash; it slips underwater. <code class="rounded bg-tth29-chip px-1.5 py-px font-tth29-mono text-[0.9em] text-tth29-acc">feTurbulence</code> + <code class="rounded bg-tth29-chip px-1.5 py-px font-tth29-mono text-[0.9em] text-tth29-acc">feDisplacementMap</code> do the physics; a crossfaded clone hides that <code class="rounded bg-tth29-chip px-1.5 py-px font-tth29-mono text-[0.9em] text-tth29-acc">filter:url()</code> can't transition.</p>
  </div>
</section>
```
## CSS
```css
@import "tailwindcss";

@theme {
  --color-tth29-bg: #0a1a22;
  --color-tth29-bg: oklch(0.17 0.025 230);
  --color-tth29-deep: #0f2e3d;
  --color-tth29-deep: oklch(0.24 0.05 220);
  --color-tth29-chip: #13252f;
  --color-tth29-chip: oklch(0.24 0.03 225);
  --color-tth29-ink: #e3f2f6;
  --color-tth29-ink: oklch(0.94 0.02 210);
  --color-tth29-mut: #8fa9b5;
  --color-tth29-mut: oklch(0.71 0.04 220);
  --color-tth29-acc: #5fd6e0;
  --color-tth29-acc: oklch(0.8 0.12 195);
  --font-tth29-display: 'Big Shoulders Display', Impact, sans-serif;
  --font-tth29-sans: 'Outfit', system-ui, sans-serif;
  --font-tth29-mono: 'JetBrains Mono', ui-monospace, monospace;
}

.tth-29 {
  width: 100%;
  min-height: 100svh;
}
```

How this works

The physics. feTurbulence generates Perlin noise; feDisplacementMap shifts every pixel of the text by an amount read from that noise's red and green channels. A stretched frequency (0.012 0.05) makes horizontal wave bands, and animating it over 7s keeps the surface moving.

<span aria-hidden="true" class="absolute inset-[.15em_.12em] text-tth29-acc
  opacity-0 [filter:url(#tth29-ripple)] transition-opacity duration-600
  group-hover/word:opacity-100">UNDERTOW</span>

Crossfade, not tween. Filters referenced by URL are on/off — they can't interpolate. So the crisp word fades to 6% while the permanently rippled clone fades in, which reads as the text slipping under water.

Scoped ids. SVG ids are document-global, so the filter is tth29-ripple.

Make it yours

  • Rougher sea: raise scale on the displacement map from 16 to 28.
  • Calmer: lower numOctaves to 1 and slow the animate to 12s.
  • Heat shimmer: use baseFrequency="0.05 0.012" for vertical bands in a warm colour.

Gotchas — read before shipping

  • The filter region (x/y/width/height) must exceed the text or displaced edges clip.
  • Safari renders SVG filters on HTML on the CPU — keep the clone to one word.
  • The SVG that holds the filter must be in the DOM (here at 0×0), not display:none.

Browser support

ChromeSafariFirefoxEdge
111+16.4+128+111+

SVG filters on HTML content work in all engines; SMIL animate is supported everywhere.

Techniques used in this demo

Utilitiesfirst-class utility or variant

opacitytw ↗

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