Poll: How many words can you translate per hour (using whatever methods work best for you)? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How many words can you translate per hour (using whatever methods work best for you)?".
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Even with subject matters that I’m very comfortable with, I might stumble on a term or expression that requires a lot of time-consuming research. In general, my pace is around 400 words per hour, but occasionally I have gone much higher than that.
| | | | Oscar Núñez Alfaro 
Costa Rica
Local time: 02:39
Member (Oct 2026)
uit Engels in Spaans
+ ...
| I could translate around 400 words per hour! | Sep 10, 2025 |
I could translate around 400 words per hour, but there are some terms/phrases that I consult that consume most of my time.
[Editado a las 2025-09-10 23:29 GMT]
| | | | | Around 1,000 words per hour | Sep 11, 2025 |
It depends on the level of difficulty, but since I became a freelance translator in 2015, after being an in-house translator for 8 years, I could get familiar with a wide range of industries, which allowed me to work faster and faster. If I feel comfortable with the text, I can translate a thousand words per hour, and sometimes a little more than that. But I also consider the fact that I use Trados Studio and its productivity resources. For example, if I'm using a termbase, then there are words ... See more It depends on the level of difficulty, but since I became a freelance translator in 2015, after being an in-house translator for 8 years, I could get familiar with a wide range of industries, which allowed me to work faster and faster. If I feel comfortable with the text, I can translate a thousand words per hour, and sometimes a little more than that. But I also consider the fact that I use Trados Studio and its productivity resources. For example, if I'm using a termbase, then there are words I don't need to fully type. I also do MT post-editing, which speeds up my work. ▲ Collapse
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Edith van der Have
Nederland
Local time: 10:39
Member (2016)
uit Engels in Nederlands
+ ...
| Also around a 1,000 words | Sep 11, 2025 |
It used to be around 750, but now I've "tamed" ChatGPT using the GAIT workflow designed by Steven Bammel (google it if needed), I've become considerably faster while preserving quality.
| | | | Baran Keki
Turkye
Local time: 11:39
Member
uit Engels in Turks
| Less than 300 | Sep 11, 2025 |
As no jobs coming my way...
But in my heyday I'd translate about 600-700 words per hour.
Ironically, when working as an in-house in the mid 2010s, I was fired from the agency because I was producing less than 1000 words per hour as I'd spend more time on quality, research, Googling etc. If only we had AI back then, or not.
| | | | Zea_Mays
Italië
Local time: 10:39
uit Engels in Duits
+ ...
| With or without checking before delivery? | Sep 11, 2025 |
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| | | | neilmac
Spanje
Local time: 10:39
uit Spaans in Engels
+ ...
It depends on the text. Some are more complicated than others and take longer. For example, this afternoon I received the translation of just under 800 words for my main legacy (non-agency) client. I can do this kind of translation in less than an hour, because I know the company and its business very well.
However, other, more technical texts, even from the same client, could take quite twice as long, so it’s difficult to pick a general figure.
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Khurram Shahzad
Pakistan
Local time: 13:39
Member
uit Oerdoe in Pandjaabs
+ ...
| 300-400 words | Sep 11, 2025 |
It really depends on the complexity of the text, but on average I find that the best quality can be maintained at around 350 words per hour.
| | | | IrinaN (X)
Verenigde State
Local time: 03:39
uit Engels in Russies
+ ...
I checked 3 polls I didn't vote for. After I hit See results I discover that I voted.
| | | | Daniel Frisano
Italië
Local time: 10:39
Member (2008)
uit Engels in Italiaans
+ ...
| Can get to 1000, maybe 1500 if it's *really* easy | Sep 17, 2025 |
I use a pre-coding method where I replace recurring technical terms and phrases with abbreviations, e.g., 'downstream hydraulic pump' becomes 'dp\', etc.
Once coded (which may take 1/2 hour to a couple of hours, depending on size and complexity), translation proper can be done at 2000 words/hour or more. I'm pretty sure I've done 4000 w/hr occasionally.
Then proofreading usually takes 3000 words/hour.
A 5000-word patent will take perhaps 1/2 hour for coding... See more I use a pre-coding method where I replace recurring technical terms and phrases with abbreviations, e.g., 'downstream hydraulic pump' becomes 'dp\', etc.
Once coded (which may take 1/2 hour to a couple of hours, depending on size and complexity), translation proper can be done at 2000 words/hour or more. I'm pretty sure I've done 4000 w/hr occasionally.
Then proofreading usually takes 3000 words/hour.
A 5000-word patent will take perhaps 1/2 hour for coding, 2 hr for translating and 1 1/2 hr for proofreading. That's ca. 1200 words per hour, all considered.
But that's limited to patents. For other stuff it's about 500-600 w/hr.
(Note: No MT or AI involved in any of this.)
[Edited at 2025-09-17 13:48 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Baran Keki
Turkye
Local time: 11:39
Member
uit Engels in Turks
| Bully for you! | Sep 18, 2025 |
Daniel Frisano wrote:
I use a pre-coding method where I replace recurring technical terms and phrases with abbreviations, e.g., 'downstream hydraulic pump' becomes 'dp\', etc.
Once coded (which may take 1/2 hour to a couple of hours, depending on size and complexity), translation proper can be done at 2000 words/hour or more. I'm pretty sure I've done 4000 w/hr occasionally.
Then proofreading usually takes 3000 words/hour.
A 5000-word patent will take perhaps 1/2 hour for coding, 2 hr for translating and 1 1/2 hr for proofreading. That's ca. 1200 words per hour, all considered.
But that's limited to patents. For other stuff it's about 500-600 w/hr.
(Note: No MT or AI involved in any of this.)
[Edited at 2025-09-17 13:48 GMT]
The question is do you get that amount of work this day and age?
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Daniel Frisano
Italië
Local time: 10:39
Member (2008)
uit Engels in Italiaans
+ ...
The question is do you get that amount of work this day and age?
Currently my work is roughly 70% patents, maybe 15% technical manuals, and 15% other stuff (agreements, legal terms & conditions, websites).
While far from the crazy days of 2015-2016, when I was able to regularly log 150,000- to 200,000-word months (at the price of not having much of a life, admittedly), the patent sector knows no respite, based on my experience.
[Edited at 2025-09-19 12:16 GMT]
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