𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦: 3 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘴🕒
When you need something translated, the first question is often “How much will it cost?”
The second? “How long will it take?”
Unfortunately, online estimates can be misleading. You may have read that a translator can handle 2,000 words per day, although true in some cases, that’s only part of the story.
The real turnaround time for a translation project depends on a range of factors, including project complexity, content type, formatting, review process and availability.
In a way, there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer to this question.
This guide will walk you through what affects translation timelines, how to reduce delays, and what kind of turnaround you can realistically expect
What affects how long translation takes?
There’s no universal answer, but here are the main factors that can influence your project timeline:
Word count and volume
Unsurprisingly, larger documents take longer.
A 1,000-word press release might be ready within hours, but a 100,000-word technical manual will need weeks, depending on the scope and review needs.
Larger projects may also require multiple linguists, which introduces the need for additional quality control and consistency checks.
Subject matter complexity
The more specialist your content, the more time it may take. For example:
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Medical and legal documents require subject-matter expertise
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Technical manuals may involve complex diagrams or formatting
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Highly creative copy might need transcreation, not just translation
Translators may need time for research, reference checks and validation, all part of delivering work that’s not just accurate, but fit for purpose.
Repetition and use of translation memory
The good news is that if your content includes repeated phrases or terminology, we can translate it faster.
At Wolfestone, we use translation memory (TM) and CAT tools to identify duplicated segments and ensure consistent use of terms, especially across product listings, manuals or legal templates.
This not only speeds up delivery, but it also improves quality and lowers cost over time.
Formatting and layout requirements
Is your content in Word, Excel, InDesign, or within a content management system? Does it need multilingual typesetting (DTP) or file engineering?
Projects with more complex formatting or layout demands will naturally take longer, especially when we’re delivering translation ready to publish.
Review, approval and sign-off
For sensitive projects, you might want to add:
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In-country review
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Regulatory sign-off
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Client-side review and amendments
Each stage adds some time, but ensures quality and accuracy, especially in high-risk sectors like legal, life sciences and the public sector.
How to speed up your translation project (without cutting corners)
Share glossaries or reference materials
Existing translations, preferred terms and brand guidelines help speed up decisions and reduce back-and-forth.
Be clear on deadlines and priorities
If you have a launch date, let us know from the start. We can often stagger delivery, translating priority content first.
Give us context
Screenshots, design layouts, audience info or product demos can all help translators understand the message and get it right the first time.
Ask about express options
We offer rapid turnaround delivery for urgent projects. Just let us know what you need.
The question "how long does translation" doesn't have a universal answer; however, with the right tools, planning and team in place, we can deliver fast translations that support your deadlines without sacrificing quality.
At Wolfestone, we build our timelines around your needs and offer flexible delivery when needed. If you have a project in mind, we’re happy to provide a personalised timeline and delivery plan.
Get in touch for a free consultation, quote or test sample.
𝘒𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 2021 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘨𝘰 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴.
