How much does a translation cost?

Words have power - Note sticking out of a jeans pocket

How should you as a customer think when it comes to translation prices? What is actually cheap and what is expensive? ”How much does a translation cost?” is a common and of course important question that we often get, but it is not entirely straightforward to answer off the top of your head.

Every translation is unique and produced specifically for you when you order it. The price depends on a range of different factors that we will take a closer look at in this text. We also offer tips on what you can do yourself to keep costs down.

Examples of factors affecting the price:

  • Text volume
  • Language combination
  • Subject area
  • File format
  • Delivery time

How does the amount of words affect it?

Whether a text is of 30, 3,000 or 30,000 words, a translation process involves a certain amount of administration. First, the file must be prepared for the translators. The file also needs to be sent between the translator and the proofreader, any queries must be sorted out, and finally the translated file must be made ready for delivery. The translators familiarise themselves with the subject matter of the text and conduct research so that the terminology and style match the source text. Therefore, a shorter text may seem more expensive than a longer one.

MindIf you have many small texts within the same subject area that need to be translated, you can try to gather the texts together so that you get more volume per batch rather than sending each small text separately. If certain texts are more urgent, it is obviously best not to wait too long so that things become stressful.

Are languages different?

For a translator to cut the mustard, they must be a skilled writer in their mother tongue. In addition, they must have thorough knowledge of the source language so that all nuances are translated correctly. The fact that the languages are closely related does not necessarily mean that one understands all the nuances, so not all Swedish translators are willing to translate from Norwegian or Danish even though the languages are very similar.

And some language combinations are very unusual. There may also be a shortage of translators at the same time as the demand for translations is high. Naturally, this affects the price. Translating a text from Swedish to Japanese, for example, is much more expensive than translating a text from Swedish to English.

MindIt can be easy to think that you will get a lower price by writing the text in English yourself, but that is not necessarily the case. For the major European languages, there is often no difference in price whether the source language is Swedish or English. And when a text is written in English by someone who is not a native speaker and is then translated into another language, there is a risk of misunderstandings in the translation. This often leads to many questions which can be very time-consuming, ultimately resulting in an expensive lesson. In the worst case, it can damage your brand. Therefore, it is always best to translate an original text written by a native speaker of that language.

Every specialty is a language of its own

Just because a translator has expertise in the medical field does not mean that the same translator can handle an automotive engineering text. And if you are translating a promotional text, you have to be much freer and think in a completely different way. You can therefore view each specialised field as a language of its own, and the translator must know their field in both languages. All our translators have their respective areas of specialisation. If the text requires specialist knowledge from the translator within a narrow field, there are fewer translators available and the price is therefore higher than if you have a general text for a standard language combination.

MindWe have translators within all industries and subject areas. Our medical and legal translators are very much in demand, and these subject areas are generally a bit more expensive than others.

I am sending a PDF

PDFs are difficult to work with. We recommend that you send editable formats, e.g. Word, InDesign, PowerPoint or Excel. Of course, we can convert text from a PDF into Word, but this often results in strange line breaks and hyphenation, making it difficult to assess the length of the text. Sometimes extra manual handling is required, which takes up additional time.

If you have a website that needs to be translated, we also require the text in an editable format, such as HTML, JSON or XML. It sometimes happens that our clients send us a link and want us to extract the text directly from there, but as this is both time-consuming and unreliable, it is better if you send us a file.

MindWe can handle most things, but you can save both time and money if you have the ability to send the text in an editable format right from the start.

We would prefer to have the translation yesterday!

It happens that customers – obviously with tongue in cheek – say that they want the translation finished yesterday. Unfortunately we are not quite that fast, but of course we do everything we can to ensure you get your translation as quickly as possible.

If you are a regular customer of ours, we will do our utmost to use the same translator you usually have. If the translator is busy with other assignments, you may have to wait a little for your translation. And if you are unable to wait, we will check with one of our other talented translators. However, if you are pressed for time and have very tight deadlines, the translator can take on an assignment subject to an express surcharge.

MindMake sure your text is completely finished before sending it for translation. Changes and additions made afterwards will delay and increase the cost of the process. Avoid rush surcharges by being well ahead of time.

Before you say yes

When you consider all these parameters, it is perhaps not so surprising that it is difficult to quickly provide an answer as to how much a translation costs. With us, you always receive a price before start that includes translation carried out by a native speaker, an extra review performed by an additional trained translator, project management and feedback.

Here are a few tips to help you get the best possible results at the lowest possible cost:

  • Translation is a craft, so be well ahead of time.
  • Make sure the text is finished before sending it for translation.
  • Send the texts in an editable format right from the start.
  • If you have many short texts, you can gather them together and send everything all at once.
  • The translation is always best if you can start from the original text.
  • Be as clear as you can in your request. Many emails mean a longer time before starting.