Key takeaways
- Translator and trainer Corinne McKay writes that agencies expect translators to produce 2,000 to 3,000 finished words per day.
- A project schedule includes preparation, translation, revision by a second linguist, any layout work and final checks, not translation alone.
- Splitting a large text between several translators shortens the calendar time but needs a shared glossary and a final consistency check.
- Source changes after work starts are the most common reason translation deadlines slip.
- Urgent and out-of-hours work usually costs more, so planning lead time is the cheapest way to save money.
This article is for project owners who need to set a realistic deadline for a translation: a product launch, a tender submission, a policy roll-out or a document for a court or regulator. It explains how fast professional translators work, which stages a schedule must include and what you can do when the deadline is fixed.
For certified translations of personal documents such as birth certificates, see the separate guide on certified translation turnaround times.
How many words can a professional translator translate in a day?
A professional translator typically produces 2,000 to 3,000 finished words per working day on standard business content. Translator and trainer Corinne McKay, writing on Training for Translators, states that “agencies expect that translators will produce 2,000 to 3,000 finished words per day”, and that “the average translator produces between 400 and 600 finished words per hour”.
Output drops for dense legal, medical or creative text, where terminology research and rewriting take longer. It rises for repetitive content, such as product catalogues or software updates, where much of the text has been translated before and is stored in a translation memory.
Which stages does a translation schedule include?
A translation deadline covers several stages, and translation is only one of them. A professional workflow normally runs in this order:
- Analysis and preparation. Word count, file conversion, checking for text in images and preparing a glossary.
- Translation. A native-speaking specialist translates and checks their own work.
- Revision. A second qualified linguist compares the translation with the source; this step is explained in how translation quality assurance works.
- Client queries. Questions about ambiguous source text are answered; slow answers delay delivery.
- Layout or DTP. Desktop publishing (DTP) means re-flowing translated text into design files and fixing line breaks and images.
- Final checks. Automated checks for numbers, tags and terminology, and a proofread of the finished layout.
How long will my document take to translate?
The table below gives indicative timings for one language pair, based on the 2,000–3,000 words-per-day output rate above, plus time for revision and final checks. It assumes final, editable source files and no layout work; it is a planning aid, not a commitment from any provider.
| Source words | Translation by one translator | Typical overall planning window |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,000 | Under one working day | 1–2 working days |
| 5,000 | About 2 working days | 3–4 working days |
| 20,000 | About 7–10 working days | 2–3 weeks, or less if split between translators |
| 100,000 | About 33–50 working days | Must be split between a team, with a phased delivery plan |
Each additional language usually runs in parallel with its own translators, so ten languages do not take ten times as long, but they do need ten sets of client queries answered.
Can a translation be done faster by splitting it between translators?
Yes, splitting a large document between several translators shortens the calendar time, but it adds a consistency risk. Different translators may choose different terms for the same concept, so a split project needs three safeguards:
- a shared, approved glossary before work starts (see translation glossaries and style guides);
- a shared translation memory, so each translator sees the others' approved sentences;
- a single reviser who reads the whole document at the end for terminology and style.
Machine translation post-editing can also speed up some content types, but it suits only text where the risk of error is low; the trade-offs are explained in what MTPE is and when to use it.
Does urgent translation cost more?
Urgent translation usually costs more because it needs more translators, out-of-hours work or both. The UK Language Services Pricing Study 2020 by Nimdzi Insights, published by the Association of Translation Companies, found that charges are higher when work is urgent or falls outside normal working hours. Our guide to translation cost per word in the UK covers the other price drivers.
The cheaper alternative is lead time. The Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) advises buyers in its guide Translation: Getting it Right to “give your translators as much lead time as possible”.
What delays a translation project?
Most translation delays are caused by changes to the source text, missing files and unanswered queries, rather than by translation speed. The ITI guide warns that “having translators work from a draft-in-progress will almost always be more time-consuming — hence more expensive (and probably more frustrating) — than waiting for the final text to be ready.”
Other common causes of slippage are:
- scanned PDFs or images that must be converted before work can start;
- reference material, such as previous translations, supplied after translation has begun;
- an internal reviewer who is on leave when the translation arrives;
- late discovery that a second language variant is needed, for example Canadian as well as European French.
How should you plan a translation deadline?
Work backwards from the date the translation must be in use, not the date it must be delivered. A practical planning sequence:
- Fix the date the translated material goes live, is printed or is submitted.
- Subtract time for your own internal review and sign-off, typically several working days.
- Subtract time for layout, printing or uploading.
- Ask providers to quote for the remaining window, and tell them it is fixed.
- Agree a phased delivery for large projects, so review can start on the first batch.
Common mistakes with translation deadlines
The most expensive mistake is treating translation as the last step after everything else has overrun. Others to avoid:
- Not allowing time for your own review. In-country colleagues need time to read and comment.
- Sending updates by email mid-project. Mark every change clearly and date each version.
- Asking for the fastest possible turnaround by default. It costs more and can remove the revision step.
- Ignoring public holidays in the target country. Native-speaking linguists often live where the language is spoken.
For the wider buying process, read our guide on how to choose a translation agency.
How TranslationWorks can help
TranslationWorks is a UK-based translation agency that provides professional human translation by native-speaking linguists in 150+ languages, working remotely with clients everywhere. TranslationWorks is certified to ISO 17100, the international standard for translation services. When you request a quote, tell us the date the translated material must be in use, the languages you need and whether layout work is involved, and we will propose a schedule with the quote. Our professional translation services cover business, legal, medical, technical and marketing content, and multi-language programmes can be planned through our custom language services. Quotes are free and sent within 24 hours: request a translation quote and schedule.
