Get an instant Quote online for your translation

How is a Quote calculated

There are three main factors:

1. Number of words

This is the most important as we and most translation companies charge per source word (source meaning the language it is currently in). Prices per source word range from £0.08 to £0.16 per source word.

2. From what language to what language?

Some languages (eg: French, German, Spanish) that are commonly used will have a lot of translators and will therefore keep prices in check. Unusual languages, like Icelandic, French Canadian and even Nepalese and Somali will be more expensive. Scandinavian languages tend to be the most expensive, around £0.14 per source word for general texts. This is due to exchange rates, small number of translators (small populations and educated, so many find careers other than translation which are better paid) and a large successful commercial sector (Scandinavian countries are some of the most economically successful in Europe/World).

3. Type of text (eg: Law, Engineering, etc..)

General texts which are fairly simple, (with prices from £0.09 to £0.12 per source word) will be the least expensive while Engineering, Pharmaceutical and Legal texts will be the most expensive (around £0.14 to £0.16 per source word).

Other minor factors:

Format:

Translations are normally delivered in word or excel and the client then copies this to their own format. Mostly the translation will be below each paragraph of the original, so easy for the person copying and pasting to know what paragraph relates to what.

Texts that are in PDF are more dificult for the translator to work from, as the translator will normally work on a text, overwriting the original text or writing below the original text, thereby making it easier and quicker. With PDF documents, they have to constantly switch between the two documents and over a period of time translating makes it time consuming and more dificult. Some translation agencies will charge a premium (around 30% extra) for accepting PDF documents for translation. Courts tend to be the main culprit for this, with often a legal document having been photocopied numerous times and then scanned and saved as a PDF, making them hard to read and impossible to convert to a normal word document.

For websites, it is easier to get the translation delivered in html (with the translation embedded into the html files). Translation companies offer this and it is worth getting this as they will not only translate the text and place it correctly in the right place, but also translate the hidden text on a website, like META tags, alt tags and any forms. They will automatically include this in any quote regarding websites.

Delivery time:

If you needed the translation quicker than the translation company has quoted for, then you will obviously have to pay more. How much more depends on the word count mainly, as well as if it is an unusual language and if it is a technical text type.

Translators normally translate 2000 words (general/simple text) a day or 1500 words (technical, ie: law, engineering, etc..) a day. Sometimes, if it is a large project, the translation company will employ a team of translators who will work from the same glossary of technical terms to try and attain consistency and give the impression that it is the work of a single translator. There is nothing wrong with this and with the right team who have worked together in the same speciality, this can work. For the best results, employ one translator as this will ensure consistency with technical terms and written style, which are both really important.

Repeated words:

Some translation companies offer discounts for repeated words, normally a 30% discount on these words. They should include this in the quote. This normally makes little to no difference in the price and is more of a gimmick to try and think you have saved money (clients like to see the discount word), although normally the client will not make any saving as these translation companies will increase the rate per word to cover the discount. Where it can have an effect is with scientific texts where there can be a lot of repetition.

Normal translation versus Sworn/Certified translation for court use:

If a document is to be submitted to a court/Government department/Academic institution or sometimes an insurance company, it will have to be carried out by a Sworn/Certified translator. This will be expensive, with Prices (minimum charge) from £65, for text less than 400 words and up to £0.16 per source word for texts over 400 words. A sworn translation (for Europe) will be marginally more expensive than a certified translation for UK. See for an explanation between Sworn and Certified.