4 Reasons Why You Need a Translation Glossary

Do you use terms that are specific to your business or industry? Does your business have words that need to be translated consistently in every language? If so, it might be time to consider creating a translation glossary. 

In this article, we’ll explain what a translation glossary is and discuss the benefits of using one.

To begin, what is a translation glossary? A translation glossary is an index of your company’s approved translations for specific words, in your source and target languages. Translation glossaries help to resolve any consistency issues by outlining your preferred terminology in a document that you share with the translators who work on your projects. Glossaries are useful tools for translating technical or marketing texts, but can be beneficial for any localization project. They ensure high quality translations in each language by harmonizing the terms that your company prefers to use.

Using a translation glossary

Increased productivity

A glossary may increase productivity throughout the translation process, since translators won’t need to spend time translating the terms that you’ve included in your translation glossary. Translation glossaries also help to save time in the editing phase, as less reworking is needed. One of the primary reasons that a text needs to be reworked is inconsistent terminology, so eliminating this issue can help a translator work more efficiently. A glossary can also help translators avoid spending time searching for terms in your target language. All of this means that the client will get the final translations more quickly.

Reduced translation costs

Translation glossaries can reduce both short and long term costs. You’ll save immediately on editing and reworking costs, since translators will have already used consistent terminology that was approved by your company. In the long term, glossaries can help you reduce costs because they integrate well with a translation memory.

Harmonized brand identity

Ensuring that your product names and key words are translated consistently every time means that your content will be easy for your clients to understand and recognize. It can be confusing for your clients if product names and terminology aren’t translated the same way everywhere on your website. It can also be confusing for translators if words have different meanings in the target language depending on the context. Localization is essential for international businesses, and a glossary of terms can help your translators choose the best words for the local markets.  Essentially, a glossary will eliminate any uncertainty about which terms your brand uses, so you can rest assured that your brand’s “voice” is the same in every language.  

Faster time-to-market

Creating a glossary can speed up your time to market by avoiding long debates about language and terminology. Since your approved terms will already be listed in your translation glossary, there will be no need to discuss how your company handles certain words or product names in other languages for each new professional translation project. Translators will be able to access the glossary and quickly find the answers to their questions, saving precious time.

A well-considered translation glossary will make translation projects easier for everyone involved and create a better, more consistent experience for your clients. Although they take some work to create initially, translation glossaries and style guides help your language service provider provide quality translations for every language and market. Once you have created your new translation glossary, you’ll see the benefits for yourself!