diff --git a/static/index.html b/static/index.html
index ac9da7e..a1a0342 100644
--- a/static/index.html
+++ b/static/index.html
@@ -635,17 +635,18 @@ function render(){
           const t = (w && (focusGid === null || w.g === focusGid)) ? w
                   : (p && (focusGid === null || p.g === focusGid)) ? p
                   : (w || p);
-          let alpha = !t.ph ? (t.end ? 28 : 16) : (t.end ? 20 : 12);
+          let alpha = !t.ph ? (t.end ? 34 : 19) : (t.end ? 24 : 14);
           if(t.slant) alpha = Math.round(alpha * 0.62);  // slant sits back
           if(focusGid !== null && t.g === focusGid){
             alpha = Math.min(85, Math.round(alpha * 2.8));
             style += 'color:#1a120c;font-weight:600;';  // dark ink on the lit chip
           }
           style += `background:color-mix(in srgb, ${colorOf(t)} ${alpha}%, transparent);`;
-          // bright underline on the rhyming tail (rs..e) of a word
-          if(w && (w.rs == null || a >= w.rs)){
-            const u = w.slant ? 55 : 80;
-            shadows.push(`inset 0 -2px 0 0 color-mix(in srgb, ${colorOf(w)} ${u}%, transparent)`);
+          // faint underline on the rhyming tail (rs..e) of a word — a
+          // whisper of precision under the full-word fill
+          if(w && w.rs != null && a >= w.rs){
+            const u = w.slant ? 28 : 42;
+            shadows.push(`inset 0 -1.5px 0 0 color-mix(in srgb, ${colorOf(w)} ${u}%, transparent)`);
           }
         }else if(op){
           style += `background:color-mix(in srgb, var(--ink-dim) 13%, transparent);`;