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Poll: How do you usually calculate your average words per hour?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Sep 17, 2025

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How do you usually calculate your average words per hour?".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 03:00
Member (2007)
uit Engels in Portugees
+ ...
Past experience Sep 17, 2025

I calculated my average many years ago and continue to use it, even though the vast majority of projects far exceed it. It’s just a method of calculating how much time a project will require, leaving room for others (if they come along…).

Ian Keith Jones Williams
CasaPhil
Heather Oland
Liena V.
Claudio Machado Junior
Oscar Núñez Alfaro
Philip Lees
 
Oscar Núñez Alfaro
Oscar Núñez Alfaro  Identity Verified
Costa Rica
Local time: 20:00
Member (Oct 2026)
uit Engels in Spaans
+ ...
Past experience. Sep 17, 2025

When I translated my first translation projects, I registered the time and the amount of words in an Excel spreadsheet. I also separated the projects based on if they are general translations or specialized translations. As a result, It is much easier for me to calculate the words/hour.
 
IrinaN (X)
IrinaN (X)
Verenigde State
Local time: 21:00
uit Engels in Russies
+ ...
Method? Sep 18, 2025

Word worked precisely and tirelessly in the left corner of the lower bar. At any given moment I knew what I've done and what's left. PowerPoint, when not by the hour, and Excel show it in the properties but I have never bothered to hold on to some "average". Some projects would take 200/hour at best with research, questions and confirmation, so what? They were well-paid

Usually there have been no surprises - for the ... See more
Word worked precisely and tirelessly in the left corner of the lower bar. At any given moment I knew what I've done and what's left. PowerPoint, when not by the hour, and Excel show it in the properties but I have never bothered to hold on to some "average". Some projects would take 200/hour at best with research, questions and confirmation, so what? They were well-paid

Usually there have been no surprises - for the majority of the projects I accepted, I knew in advance that it will be between 400 and 500 words without any CATs. ▲ Collapse
 
Daryo
Daryo
Local time: 03:00
uit Serwies in Engels
+ ...
I don't Sep 19, 2025

Never bothered with that metric.

I'm only interested in what I can earn in a month / over the whole year.
 


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Poll: How do you usually calculate your average words per hour?






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