This guide map will provide a comprehensive overview of translation cost and offer insight into which services are cheaper and which are more expensive. We will also dive into which languages are more and less expensive.
As globalization accelerates, more and more businesses are turning to language translation services to expand their reach. With so many options available, it can be difficult to figure out which translation services are the most cost-efficient.
1. Online Translation Services
Online translation services are the most affordable option for language translation, with prices ranging from free to a few cents per word. These services use automated language processing to quickly translate text from one language to another. However, the accuracy of these translations is very questionable, as the programs do not always take context into account, among other typical errors of machine translation, which can be very serious.
2. Freelance Translators
Freelance translators are a backup option for businesses that need translations, but do not have the budget for a step-by-step quality-controlled process.
Prices vary greatly depending on the translator’s experience and the complexity of the text. Generally, freelance translators can be cheaper than agencies because their work is not reviewed by an independent reviewer, and not verified for overall quality of the project, such as client specifications or formatting.
Nevertheless, since they are normally busy, they might charge more than agencies as per their workload or simply because they are pricy. It’s tricky to establish a relatively standard pricing for freelancers.
Additionally, extra services aren’t included, like DTP on the files or coding them in HTML for SEO, integration with CMS, just to name a few.
However, the most important step is selection and recruitment. Normally freelance translators aren’t tested, nor do the stakeholders have working history: professionalism, ethics, and accountability, are key factors that a test can’t verify.
3. Translation Agencies
Professional translation agencies normally are the more expensive option for translation, but they also offer the highest quality. These agencies employ experienced translators and charge between 10 and 30 cents per word. However, they normally include revision (if they are ISO 17100 certified), proofreading, formatting, design or software integrations.
4. Machine Translation
Machine translation is a relatively new technology that uses artificial intelligence to quickly translate text from one language to another. Prices for machine translation depend on the size and complexity of the text, but generally range from 5 to 16 cents per word.
5. Post-editing
Post-editing is a combination of machine translation and human translation. The machine translation is used to quickly translate the text, and then one or two human translators review and edit the translation for accuracy. Prices for translation post-editing generally range from 8 to 21 cents per word.
In conclusion, there are a variety of language translation services available to businesses, each with their own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Online translation services are the cheaper option, while professional translation agencies provide the highest quality translations.
Machine translation post-editing offers a good balance between cost and quality, although the level of quality is always lower than 100% human translation processes.
Which languages are cheaper, which are more expensive for translation?
Translation is a key factor in global communication, allowing us to access content from different cultures and languages. It is important to understand the differences between languages when it comes to translation cost. Some languages are generally cheaper than others to translate, and some are more expensive.
Cheaper Languages
There are some languages that are generally cheaper to translate than others, such as Russian, Chinese, Thai, Spanish, or Latin American Spanish. These languages are more common and are more accessible to many translators. As a result, the cost of translation is generally lower. Other languages in this category include French, German, Italian or Portuguese.
Expensive Languages
On the other hand, there are some languages that are generally more expensive to translate. These can include less common languages such as Japanese, Korean, Finnish or Swedish.
Factors Affecting Translation Cost
It is important to note that there are other factors that can affect the translation cost. This includes the complexity of the text, the length of the text, the type of translation required, and the turnaround time. All of these factors can influence the cost of translation, regardless of the language.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are certain languages that can be considered cheaper and more expensive when it comes to translation. Languages such as Chinese, Bahasa Indonesia, Albanian, Russian are generally cheaper, while Japanese, Korean, and Nordic languages are generally more expensive.
Yet, without putting much thought into it, the two most important factors are: cost of life and availability of translators in target countries.
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