Choosing Between Machine and Human Translation: What You Need to Know

This is an important question. If you’re in charge of taking your company into a new market with new language requirements, it’s probably something that’s been running through your mind. You’re likely assessing timescales, budgets and resources and trying to figure where the sweet spot is.

As a Language Services Provider (LSP), we’re frequently asked this question by our clients which leads us into the beginning of scoping the most cost-effective and accurate solution.

Because the truth is, there’s a spectrum with MT at one end and human translation at the other. Each piece of your content that needs to be translated or localized will sit somewhere on this spectrum. Each piece will need to be considered individually, so chances are you’re going to need a bit of both.

How do you decide the best route forward? Over the next few minutes we’ll look at the things you should consider to help you make that decision.

What’s the Difference Between Human Translation and Machine Translation?

As you probably expect, machine translation is where you run your content through an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven machine and it comes out in your target language.

Human translation is where a linguist specifically translates your content with your end audience in mind, giving each phrase, sentence and word individual attention.

When Would MT be Best?

MT is great at translating large volumes of text that would be too costly to have translated purely by human linguists. After all, MT runs 24/7 and doesn’t ask for weekends off. It’s perfect for translations that are less visible or where the accuracy of the translation isn’t so crucial, such as:

• Archival content – when you have a responsibility to translate material that has been superseded or will rarely be viewed.
• Technical texts or instruction manuals – these are usually text heavy and only a few areas are widely accessed.
• Product reviews – people are really only looking to get a flavour of the responses.
• User-generated content – your audience is more forgiving with language and grammar created by users.
• Chatbots – it’s totally acceptable these days to have chatbots asking introductory questions to get us to the right human.

When Should I use Human Translation?

Human translation is naturally going to be more nuanced, more considered, than machine translation.

A human translator with knowledge local to the new audience and an understanding of your industry can consider slang, metaphors, humour and cultural references that would likely be misrepresented by a machine (although AI is getting better all the time).

For these reasons the following groups of content work best with human translation:

• Localized content – when you need content that’s contextual for a specific location or audience.
• Transcreation – the art of translating marketing and advertising concepts, such as product slogans, that won’t directly translate into the target language.
• Quality Assurance (QA) critical content – when your text needs to be proof-read and double checked through a quality assurance process.

What if my Requirements aren’t so Black and White?

Going back to that spectrum we talked about, a lot of the time the best solution is a combination of the two.

Some MT followed by a human touch to edit for accuracy and context can be scaled to fit most budgets and timescales. This is known as post-editing. How much or how little post-editing you need depends on what’s being translated.

The Bottom Line (and Budget can be Misleading)

MT tends to be quicker, cheaper and less accurate. Human translation takes longer, costs more and, in the right hands, is totally accurate.

And the misleading budget part…imagine your translation was done inexpensively with MT, but the content ends up being public-facing and doesn’t resonate, or even worse, insults your intended audience.

It could end up costing a lot, being detrimental to your brand and you’ll have to redo it anyway. Food for thought. The best thing you can do is…

Let Your LSP Help You

We’ve covered things off here in fairly simple terms. As always there are gray areas in translation projects, particularly ones with multiple types of content (text, video, audio, imagery).

So, the best thing you can do is choose an LSP that will work well with your business and let them help you make the best decision on how to proceed.

That’s what they’re there for. The LSP that’s the right fit for your company will be much more than a translation partner, they’ll be a business partner keeping an eye on your localization strategy every step of the way.

Get a Quote for Your Translation Needs

Understanding when to use machine translation (MT) versus human translation can optimize your budget and accuracy.

MT is efficient for large volumes of less critical content, while human translation excels in nuanced, culturally sensitive, and high-stakes communications. Often, a hybrid approach—using MT followed by human post-editing—offers a balanced solution.

At LinguaLinx, we help you navigate this spectrum to ensure your message is accurate and effective. Schedule a consultation with us to explore your options and find the best fit for your translation needs.

Consultations are free and there’s no obligation.

Click the link below to begin your journey with the right LSP for your business.