Translation Workflows and Turnaround Times

This article describes the available types of translations, as well as their typical turnaround time (delivery period).

Types of translation

HT (human translation)

This is for full human translation process without any Machine Translation. This option guarantees the highest level of quality. The linguist can impose glossaries as required.

MTPE (machine translation, with post editing by a human linguist)

This is the ideal workflow for articles and is appropriate for most customer requirements. The translation itself does not impose glossaries, however they can be used in the human post-editing step.

MT (machine translation)

This is a raw Machine Translation output. It does not typically impose a glossary by default. This option is best used for content that is not client facing, but rather to understand the general essence of what is being written. 

Turnaround times

The following are typical turnaround times (TAT) for each type of translation.

HT

A typical HT workflow for 800 words takes approximately 5 business days. For every additional 800 words, add 1 to 2 business days as a rule.

MTPE

A typical MTPE workflow for 1,500 words takes approximately 5 business days. For every additional 1,500 words, add 1 to 2 business days as a rule.

MT

A typical MT workflow takes up to 24 hours. Actual TAT is dependent on the number of files and the number of languages within a project.