diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index b58233f..64b6395 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 Package: stt.api
 Title: 'OpenAI' Compatible Speech-to-Text API Client
-Version: 0.2.1.2
+Version: 0.2.1.3
 Authors@R: c(
     person("Troy", "Hernandez", email = "troy@cornball.ai", role = c("aut", "cre"),
            comment = c(ORCID = "0009-0005-4248-604X")),
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 92ef088..8481c11 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+# stt.api 0.2.1.3
+
+* The API backend now requests and parses word-level timestamps: with
+  `response_format = "verbose_json"` it sends `timestamp_granularities[]` for
+  both `segment` and `word` (requesting word alone can suppress segments on
+  OpenAI) and returns `result$words` (word/start/end), matching the native
+  whisper backend. Works against OpenAI and a self-hosted `whisper::serve()`.
+
 # stt.api 0.2.1.2
 
 * `stt()` gains a `source` axis ("auto", "api", "package"), mirroring
diff --git a/R/internal_api.R b/R/internal_api.R
index fc1b63a..1e7bccb 100644
--- a/R/internal_api.R
+++ b/R/internal_api.R
@@ -26,6 +26,17 @@
 
     form_data$response_format <- response_format
 
+    # Request word-level timestamps for verbose_json, so result$words is
+    # populated like the in-process whisper backend. OpenAI treats word and
+    # segment as separate granularities, and requesting word alone can suppress
+    # segments -- so ask for BOTH (two array-style fields). whisper::serve
+    # honors either.
+    if (identical(response_format, "verbose_json")) {
+        gran <- list("segment", "word")
+        names(gran) <- c("timestamp_granularities[]", "timestamp_granularities[]")
+        form_data <- c(form_data, gran)
+    }
+
     # Build headers (curl expects "Name: Value" format)
     headers <- "Accept: application/json"
     if (!is.null(api_key) && nchar(api_key) > 0) {
@@ -111,12 +122,29 @@
         segments <- .normalize_segments(segments)
     }
 
-    list(
+    # Extract word-level timestamps if available (verbose_json + word
+    # granularity), mirroring the native whisper backend's result$words.
+    words <- NULL
+    if (!is.null(parsed$words) && length(parsed$words) > 0) {
+        words <- tryCatch(
+                          do.call(rbind, lapply(parsed$words, function(w) {
+            data.frame(word = w$word, start = w$start, end = w$end,
+                       stringsAsFactors = FALSE)
+        })),
+                          error = function(e) NULL
+        )
+    }
+
+    out <- list(
          text = parsed$text %||% "",
          segments = segments,
          language = parsed$language %||% language,
          backend = "api",
          raw = parsed
     )
+    if (!is.null(words)) {
+        out$words <- words
+    }
+    out
 }