When working with a professional Singapore translator, it is important to have realistic expectations for turnaround times. Depending on the length and complexity of the document, a professional translator can typically translate between 250 and 1,000 words per hour.

For shorter documents, such as website content or blog posts, a translation turnaround time of 24 to 48 hours is typical. For longer documents, such as e-learning courses or marketing collateral, a translation turnaround time of one to two weeks is more realistic.

What Factors Affect Translation Turnaround Time?

There are a number of factors that can affect translation turnaround time, including:

The length of the document

Longer documents will take longer to translate than shorter ones. This is because there is simply more text to translate.

The complexity of the document

Documents with the complex subject matter or technical language will take longer to translate than simpler ones. This is because the translator needs to take extra care to ensure that they are accurately conveying the meaning of the original text.

The format of the document

Documents that are available in digital format (such as Word or PDF files) will be easier and faster to translate than those that are only available in hard copy (such as printed books). This is because digital files can be easily loaded into translation software, which speeds up the translation process.

The number of revisions

If you require multiple rounds of revision, this will obviously extend the overall translation timeline. It is therefore important to provide clear and concise revision instructions so that the translator can make the changes you need quickly and efficiently.

The number of languages

If your document needs to be translated into multiple languages, this will also extend the overall timeline. This is because each language version must be translated separately.

The availability of the translator

Some translators may have already scheduled projects that will occupy their time for several weeks or even months in advance. As such, it is important to contact potential document translators well in advance so that they can check their availability and give you an accurate estimate of when they will be able to complete your project.

Conclusion

In order to ensure that your project stays on track, it is important to have realistic expectations for translation turnaround times. Depending on the length and complexity of your document, you should expect a professional translator to be able to translate between 250 and 1,000 words per hour.

For shorter documents, such as website content or blog posts, a translation turnaround time of 24 to 48 hours is typical. For longer documents, such as e-learning courses or marketing collateral, a translation turnaround time of one to two weeks is more realistic.

At the end of the article, ICA Translation Service translators would like to say that there are many other small details can affect the translation time such as the quality of original text, tight schedule, working with team or individually, etc. However, in general, the turnaround time stated above is still a good estimation for you to have a basic understand about how long it would take to translate a document.