In the translation industry, most jobs are charged on a per-word basis. In principle, this seems like a reasonable way of calculating the cost of a translation. The more words there are to translate, the more work is involved, and the higher the price. Simple enough. However, anyone who has compared quotations from different translation companies will probably have noticed that the price per word can vary considerably. And what is perhaps less obvious is that two suppliers offering exactly the same rate may not necessarily be offering the same service.
When a potential customer asks us for our translation rate per word, my first reaction is usually to ask a few questions. Which languages are involved? What is the subject matter? How much text needs to be translated? Is the deadline particularly tight? Are the files in an editable format? These are all factors that can influence the price, and most translation buyers are familiar with them. However, there are other aspects of translation pricing that are not always so clear. Unless we understand exactly what is included in a quotation, we may end up comparing apples with oranges.
Source Words or Target Words?
The first question is surprisingly simple: which words are we counting? Nowadays, most translation quotations are based on the number of words in the original document, but some suppliers still calculate their invoices according to the number of words in the translated text. This may seem like a minor detail, but it can make a significant difference. Languages do not necessarily require the same number of words to express the same idea, and a translation may be considerably longer or shorter than its original. Before comparing two rates, it is worth checking whether both suppliers are counting the same thing.
Repetitions, Fuzzy Matches and New Words
Things become a little more complicated when translation memories are involved. Most professional translation companies use computer-assisted translation tools, which identify sentences that have already been translated and detect similarities between new text and previous translations. These similarities are commonly known as fuzzy matches. A document containing 10,000 words may therefore include a considerable number of repetitions, previously translated segments and completely new text. Since translating a repeated sentence generally requires less effort than translating a new one, many suppliers offer discounts according to the degree of similarity. The problem is that not everyone applies the same discounts, and some quotations may not include them at all.
Word counts can also vary slightly between different translation tools, particularly when dealing with unusual file formats or complex documents. For this reason, I believe customers should be given a clear analysis showing the number of new words, repetitions and fuzzy matches, together with the discounts applied to each category. Without this information, comparing two quotations based solely on their rates per word can be rather misleading. A supplier with a higher basic rate may actually offer a lower total price once translation memory discounts are taken into account.
What Is Included in the Price?
Another question worth asking is what exactly the supplier means by translation. Does the quoted price cover the work of one translator, or does it also include revision by a second professional? Is terminology checked? Is there a final verification of the translated files before delivery? These additional steps require time and resources, and they naturally affect the cost. Two companies may quote the same rate per word while following very different procedures. This does not necessarily mean that one is better than the other, but the buyer should know what is being purchased. A translation intended for internal reference may not require the same level of checking as a technical manual that will be distributed to thousands of customers.
The People Behind the Price
Ultimately, a large part of the cost of a translation comes down to the professional who actually does the work. Experienced translators who specialize in a particular field can often work more efficiently than someone who is unfamiliar with the subject. They know the terminology, understand the context and can resolve difficulties without having to research every unfamiliar concept. Translation memories and other productivity tools can certainly help, but there are limits to how much a good translator can produce in an hour without compromising quality.
This is something I think translation buyers should bear in mind. Professional translators invest years in developing their linguistic skills and specialist knowledge. Those who consistently produce good work and have built a reputation in their field are unlikely to accept rates below a certain level. Of course, a higher price does not automatically guarantee a better translation, but there is a point at which reducing costs further becomes difficult without affecting either the people involved or the work they are expected to perform.
Do Quality Procedures Guarantee Good Translations?
I am sometimes surprised by how much importance is given to procedures when evaluating translation suppliers. Quality certifications, documented workflows and well-defined processes are certainly useful, and I would not underestimate their value. However, even the best procedures cannot compensate for a lack of professional competence. A translation that has been checked by two people is not necessarily a good translation if neither of them has sufficient knowledge of the subject.
Some business models are based on selecting the cheapest available translator for each assignment, sometimes through reverse auctions in which suppliers compete by offering progressively lower rates. I have my doubts about whether such an approach can deliver consistent quality over time. Translators are not interchangeable parts of a production line. When someone has spent years becoming familiar with a customer's terminology, products and preferences, that knowledge has value. Replacing that person simply because another translator offers a lower rate may save money on an individual project, but it can also mean losing experience that took considerable time to acquire.
A Final Thought About Translation Prices
I am certainly not suggesting that customers should always choose the most expensive translation supplier. Price matters, and companies have every right to look for competitive quotations. There are excellent translators offering reasonable rates, just as there are expensive suppliers whose work may not justify their prices. What I am suggesting is that the rate per word tells us only part of the story. We need to understand how the words are counted, which discounts are applied, what services are included and, above all, who will be doing the work.
In my experience, good translations are usually the result of skilled professionals who understand their subject and have had the opportunity to become familiar with their customers' requirements. This takes time, and it requires a reasonable degree of continuity in the working relationship. Paying a high rate does not guarantee quality, but paying a fair rate makes it easier to retain the translators who provide it.
So, the next time you receive two translation quotations with different word rates, it may be worth looking beyond the figures. Before deciding which one is cheaper, make sure you know exactly what you are comparing.
Eloy Ferrer
ASSERTIO Language Services