diff --git a/changes/2026-06-01-avif-audio-sync.md b/changes/2026-06-01-avif-audio-sync.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ff148621
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changes/2026-06-01-avif-audio-sync.md
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+type: fixed
+area: anki
+
+- Kept animated AVIF timing from starting or ending early by holding word-audio lead-in and clip duration through the next AVIF frame boundary.
diff --git a/src/media-generator.test.ts b/src/media-generator.test.ts
index 4ace408a..700cbabf 100644
--- a/src/media-generator.test.ts
+++ b/src/media-generator.test.ts
@@ -56,14 +56,14 @@ function readFfmpegArgs(argsPath: string): string[] {
   return fs.readFileSync(argsPath, 'utf8').trim().split('\n');
 }
 
-test('buildAnimatedImageVideoFilter prepends a cloned first frame when lead-in is provided', () => {
+test('buildAnimatedImageVideoFilter holds lead-in until the next frame after the audio boundary', () => {
   assert.equal(
     buildAnimatedImageVideoFilter({
-      fps: 10,
+      fps: 24,
       maxWidth: 640,
       leadingStillDuration: 1.25,
     }),
-    'tpad=start_duration=1.25:start_mode=clone,fps=10,scale=w=640:h=-2',
+    'tpad=start_duration=1.2916666666666667:start_mode=clone,fps=24,scale=w=640:h=-2',
   );
 });
 
@@ -76,12 +76,12 @@ test('generateAnimatedImage includes leading audio padding in the source range',
 
     const args = readFfmpegArgs(argsPath);
     assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-ss') + 1], '9.5');
-    assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-t') + 1], '3');
+    assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-t') + 1], '3.1');
     assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-vf') + 1], 'fps=10,scale=w=640:h=-2');
   });
 });
 
-test('generateAnimatedImage defaults to unpadded sentence timing', async () => {
+test('generateAnimatedImage defaults to unpadded source start and holds through the next frame', async () => {
   await withStubbedFfmpeg(async (generator, argsPath) => {
     await generator.generateAnimatedImage('/video.mp4', 10, 12, undefined, {
       fps: 10,
@@ -90,7 +90,21 @@ test('generateAnimatedImage defaults to unpadded sentence timing', async () => {
 
     const args = readFfmpegArgs(argsPath);
     assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-ss') + 1], '10');
-    assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-t') + 1], '2');
+    assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-t') + 1], '2.1');
+    assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-vf') + 1], 'fps=10,scale=w=640:h=-2');
+  });
+});
+
+test('generateAnimatedImage rounds fractional source duration through the next frame boundary', async () => {
+  await withStubbedFfmpeg(async (generator, argsPath) => {
+    await generator.generateAnimatedImage('/video.mp4', 10, 12.04, undefined, {
+      fps: 10,
+      maxWidth: 640,
+    });
+
+    const args = readFfmpegArgs(argsPath);
+    assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-ss') + 1], '10');
+    assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-t') + 1], '2.1');
     assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-vf') + 1], 'fps=10,scale=w=640:h=-2');
   });
 });
@@ -105,10 +119,10 @@ test('generateAnimatedImage keeps word-audio lead-in separate from audio padding
 
     const args = readFfmpegArgs(argsPath);
     assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-ss') + 1], '9.5');
-    assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-t') + 1], '3');
+    assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-t') + 1], '3.1');
     assert.equal(
       args[args.indexOf('-vf') + 1],
-      'tpad=start_duration=1.25:start_mode=clone,fps=10,scale=w=640:h=-2',
+      'tpad=start_duration=1.3:start_mode=clone,fps=10,scale=w=640:h=-2',
     );
   });
 });
@@ -122,7 +136,7 @@ test('generateAnimatedImage clips padded source range at the start of media', as
 
     const args = readFfmpegArgs(argsPath);
     assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-ss') + 1], '0');
-    assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-t') + 1], '1.7');
+    assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-t') + 1], '1.8');
     assert.equal(args[args.indexOf('-vf') + 1], 'fps=10,scale=w=640:h=-2');
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/media-generator.ts b/src/media-generator.ts
index e7def7d3..d9a02c57 100644
--- a/src/media-generator.ts
+++ b/src/media-generator.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,20 @@ import { createLogger } from './logger';
 
 const log = createLogger('media');
 
+function normalizeAnimatedImageFps(fps: number | undefined): number {
+  const fallbackFps = 10;
+  const safeFps = typeof fps === 'number' && Number.isFinite(fps) ? fps : fallbackFps;
+  return Math.max(1, Math.min(60, safeFps));
+}
+
+function roundDurationUpToNextFrameBoundary(seconds: number, fps: number): number {
+  if (!(Number.isFinite(seconds) && seconds > 0)) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+
+  return (Math.floor(seconds * fps + 1e-9) + 1) / fps;
+}
+
 export function buildAnimatedImageVideoFilter(options: {
   fps?: number;
   maxWidth?: number;
@@ -31,11 +45,15 @@ export function buildAnimatedImageVideoFilter(options: {
   leadingStillDuration?: number;
 }): string {
   const { fps = 10, maxWidth = 640, maxHeight, leadingStillDuration = 0 } = options;
-  const clampedFps = Math.max(1, Math.min(60, fps));
+  const clampedFps = normalizeAnimatedImageFps(fps);
+  const alignedLeadingStillDuration = roundDurationUpToNextFrameBoundary(
+    leadingStillDuration,
+    clampedFps,
+  );
   const vfParts: string[] = [];
 
-  if (leadingStillDuration > 0) {
-    vfParts.push(`tpad=start_duration=${leadingStillDuration}:start_mode=clone`);
+  if (alignedLeadingStillDuration > 0) {
+    vfParts.push(`tpad=start_duration=${alignedLeadingStillDuration}:start_mode=clone`);
   }
 
   vfParts.push(`fps=${clampedFps}`);
@@ -321,9 +339,10 @@ export class MediaGenerator {
     } = {},
   ): Promise<Buffer> {
     const { fps = 10, maxWidth = 640, maxHeight, crf = 35, leadingStillDuration = 0 } = options;
+    const clampedFps = normalizeAnimatedImageFps(fps);
     const safePadding = Number.isFinite(padding) ? Math.max(0, padding) : 0;
     const start = Math.max(0, startTime - safePadding);
-    const duration = endTime - start + safePadding;
+    const duration = roundDurationUpToNextFrameBoundary(endTime - start + safePadding, clampedFps);
     const totalLeadingStillDuration = Math.max(0, leadingStillDuration);
 
     const clampedCrf = Math.max(0, Math.min(63, crf));
@@ -359,7 +378,7 @@ export class MediaGenerator {
           videoPath,
           '-vf',
           buildAnimatedImageVideoFilter({
-            fps,
+            fps: clampedFps,
             maxWidth,
             maxHeight,
             leadingStillDuration: totalLeadingStillDuration,