𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦: 4 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘴🕒
In the past few years, Machine Translation (MT) has transformed the speed and scalability of translation projects.
But on its own, MT still often falls short of the quality, nuance and accuracy required for highly technical and marketing-related content. We even say this as a company that offers machine translation solutions.
However, machine translation post-editing (MTPE) just might be the perfect answer for a lot of businesses.
By combining the efficiency of machine translation with expert human review, MTPE delivers fast, cost-effective translations without compromising on quality. We'd highly advise considering MTPE for your global content workflows.
In this article, we’ll explore how MTPE fits into your workflow, when it works best, and why more global brands are turning to post-editing solutions.
Firstly, what is MPTE?
MTPE is the process of reviewing and refining machine-translated content with input from a professional linguist.
The goal is to correct errors, improve readability, and ensure that the output meets the tone, terminology and expectations of your target audience.
MTPE is ideal for content that doesn’t need full human translation, but still requires quality assurance or more accuracy than raw MT output.
Why use MTPE?
The advantages of MTPE are clear:
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Speed: Translators can review machine output faster than translating from scratch
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Cost-efficiency: Lower resource requirements, especially for high-volume projects
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Consistency: Integrated with translation memory tools for terminology accuracy
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Quality control: Final text is checked by experienced linguists
According to a recent peer-reviewed study from Frontiers in AI, post-editing improved translation speed by over 52% compared to human translation from scratch.
When MTPE works best
MTPE is suitable for a wide range of content, including:
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Internal documentation
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User guides and manuals
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FAQs and support articles
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Technical content with existing terminology
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Repetitive, high-volume materials
Some website pages and marketing assets (but worth reviewing with a provider first)
However, it’s not appropriate for all content types.
For brand-critical, creative or legally sensitive texts (for example), full human translation or transcreation is best.
Also, there are times when machine translation is perfectly fine.
Where MTPE fits into your workflow
Here’s how machine translation post-editing can typically fit into a client's workflow:
Create content - You create content as normal and save it in your preferred formats
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Content assessment – We review your files to determine whether MTPE is viable
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Machine translation – The content is translated using our trusted MT engine
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Post-editing – A qualified linguist reviews the text for fluency, accuracy and tone, making any necessary adjustments
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Quality assurance checks – Final output is reviewed against your terminology, formatting and delivery specs
Publishing - Translated content is delivered to you in your preferred format for publishing
It's worth noting here that, with Wolfestone, we even offer post-editing services for externally translated or AI-generated content.
The importance of MT quality
Of course, the quality of raw MT directly impacts how much editing is needed. Different MT engines may give different outputs and accuracy levels.
As noted in a comprehensive research review from Koponen (University of Helsinki), poor machine output often increases the editing effort and cost. High-quality MT, however, leads to significant gains in efficiency.
That’s why we carefully assess the quality of MT before deciding whether MTPE is the right route. Our linguists and project managers will never recommend a service level that puts your message at risk.
Machine translation post-editing offers a powerful balance of speed and quality, but only when implemented with the right tools, workflows and expertise.
At Wolfestone, we don’t take shortcuts. Every MTPE project is assessed by a real linguist, managed by a dedicated team, and delivered under ISO-certified processes.
If you're exploring MT or already using it internally, we’ll help you build a workflow that works without sacrificing quality or clarity.
Contact us today for a free quote or an MTPE 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.
