Want to know exactly how much does document translation cost? And how you can save money on document translation services? Here’s everything you need to know.

If you’ve got a document that needs translating, many things can affect the cost of translation. The language combination, subject matter, the experience of the translator and format of the document can all influence translation cost.

How much does document translation cost?

What Is The Cost Of Document Translation?

On a basic level document translation costs usually are worked out on a price-per-word basis, and most translators and translation agencies work to industry standard rates for translation.

Usually, document translation costs vary from £0.10 to £0.16 per word. Therefore if you have a 1000 word document, it will charge between £100 and £160 for translation.

Why the Difference in Cost per Word of the Document?

When it comes to document translation, some languages cost more (expensive) than other languages.

Languages that are used by large numbers of people such as Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, and English cost less per word. While less common languages, like Nepalese, Icelandic and Maori are more expensive. How much does document translation cost? That is a tough questions to answer. But we will give it a go in the following lines.

Are There Other Things That Affect The Cost Per Word Translation?

Sometimes the number of translators surpasses the demand for translation. When this appears, the per-word rate is forced down, as translators have to fight for work. At the same time, if the cost of living is economical in a country, translators will price lower rates too. So how much does document translation cost?

For this reason, Chinese is one of the least costly languages. And why Icelandic, Norwegian, and other Nordic languages are some of the most expensive. So your 10,000-word document translation into Chinese might charge £1000, while the same document translation into Icelandic might charge £1600.

So How Do you understand if you’re Paying a Reasonable Price for Translation?

Sometimes it’s difficult to tell if the price you’ve been quoted is a reasonable price for the service you’re getting. But there are some things you need to make sure you are getting a reasonable price for translation.

First, be sure to check the quoted price against the industry standard prices. This will give you a hint as to whether your quote is entirely far-fetched, or actually within the reasonable standards.

Second, think about the document you need translating. Is it a highly-technical document bound with niche vocabulary that only a specialist would understand? Is it a modern marketing brochure that needs creative artwork translation and localization for a particular business? Or maybe it’s a high-volume literary document prepared with literary devices. If the response is yes, then the cost of your translation may be higher.

It can never hurt to ask directly and on forehand how much does document translation cost. Correspondingly, when you have a simple low word-count document, such as a short email, the translation should be relatively easy and straightforward. As such, the price should be kept to a minimum too.

If you still have any doubts or queries regarding how much does document translation cost, look no further than the Live Document Translation Agency! Get a free live document translation cost estimate now!