The most common question we get is “how much will the translation cost”?  And while every project is different, it seems to be a big mystery as to how we come up with this magical number.  So, I wanted to explain some of the variables that go into determining this amount, along with explaining the language translation process a little bit.

• We Charge “PER WORD”.  And that is “per original (source) word” being translated.  If you have an English document with 2,600 words to be translated into Spanish, the final price will be 2,600 words multiplied by the “per word” rate for English to Spanish translations.  On average, the price per word is $0.15-$0.25 which depends on the other variables listed below…
   
• What Language?  Some languages like Spanish are very common and are easier to translate.  The price to get a Spanish translation is cheaper than let’s say a Slovenian translation which not as many people speak and the number of translators is rather limited.
   
• How Technical Is the Document?  There is an obvious difference between translating a medical journal written for doctors and a movie review about “Avatar” written for the local newspaper.  If the text is specialized, then we will need to use specialized translators which because of their experience and demand tend to be more expensive.  Plus, when the text is more difficult, the translators spend more time researching the concepts and double-checking the terminology.  Our main goal is to provide an accurate translation.
   
• Any Special Formatting?  The longer it takes the translator to format text and work with unique programs, the more expensive the translation will be.  The most cost-effective translations are those which are provided in Microsoft Word.  If the translation must be retyped and formatted from scratch, expect a little higher charge for the extra work.
   
• Is the Project Urgent?  If the translators need to work extra hours to complete the translation, they will charge extra.  On average, a translator can translate approximately 2,000 words per business day.  The translators don’t like to rush too fast because they want to make sure their translations are accurate and stupid mistakes aren’t made because they are tired.
   
• Proofreading / Editor Included.  Every translation is proofread and edited by a second translator unless you tell us otherwise.  When we give you a price, it’s actually for TWO TRANSLATORS working on your project.  Maybe you just want a “rough draft” or “quick translation” to see what something says.  Or, maybe you have your own editor.  If that’s the case, please let us know and we will reduce the price since we won’t have to pay a second translator to carefully review everything.
   
• Repetition Discounts.  If you have a group of documents or website pages which have a lot of the same information repeated throughout, we take that into consideration.  We have a program which looks for phrases that repeat and notifies the translator so they know it was translated before.  When that happens, we discount the repeated words and phrases since it’s already been translated and just needs to be double-checked.
   
• Volume Discounts.  Our translators love large projects.  They don’t have to worry about jumping from one topic to another and doing a lot of specialized research for small projects while at the same time lining up their next job.  They are more efficient as they can get more done per day and stay focused on just one thing.  Because of that, the cost to translate large projects actually gets cheaper.  It might be just a penny or two, but multiplied by a 60,000 word project, it adds up!
   
• Multiple Language Discounts.  We do offer a 10% discount if the same document is translated into more than one language at the same time.  While each translator still has the same amount of work, the project manager coordinating everything saves time working with all of the languages as one large project as opposed to having several individual projects.

Hopefully, this gives a little insight into our pricing for language translations.  That’s why we ask so many questions during our quoting process.  Believe it or not, our goal is to provide you with the lowest price possible for the project while maintaining our high quality standards.  For the best quote, we really need to see the original text being translated, understand your expectations, and then work to see how we can handle this the most cost-effective way.

Please contact us through our website, E-mail, or phone 317-345-6482 so we can price your next translation project.