Human Translation Services

Human translation is the work of a professional linguist who reads the source text, interprets its context, tone and terminology, and writes it again in the target language. It differs from machine translation, which generates output without a person interpreting the source.

Choose human translation when an error has legal, financial, medical or reputational consequences: contracts, court filings, regulatory submissions, patient documents, pharmaceutical labeling, brand copy and certified translations for immigration or admissions. Machine translation suits internal use, gisting or high-volume repetitive text, and should be reviewed by a qualified human editor before any external use.

In human translation, a linguist translates the content from scratch. In MTPE (machine translation post-editing), an engine produces a first draft and a qualified editor corrects it for accuracy, fluency and terminology. Human translation fits high-stakes, creative or culturally sensitive content, and MTPE fits high-volume, lower-risk content where speed matters. Tomedes holds ISO 18587:2017 for post-editing, discloses when MTPE is used and prices it as a separate service level.

Human translation is usually priced per word and starts at $0.08 per word at Tomedes. The rate depends on language pair, subject complexity and turnaround, and legal, medical and technical content costs more than general business text. Every quote is firm and all-inclusive, with no minimum fee, and arrives within 15 minutes.

A 1,000-word document of moderate complexity starts at about $80, since the starting rate is $0.08 per word. The final price varies with the language pair, the subject and the deadline, and MTPE is available at lower per-word rates for suitable content.

AI now handles drafts of routine content well, but it does not take responsibility for meaning, tone or accuracy in high-stakes documents. Tomedes uses human linguists for work where an error carries consequences, and reserves MTPE for content where a reviewed draft is enough.

For documents that matter, a professional human translator reviewed by a second linguist is more reliable than any free tool, because a person checks context, terminology and tone. Free tools are useful for gisting but provide no certificate of accuracy and no one accountable for errors.

Professional translators may use computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools and translation memory, which store approved translations and suggest them for repeated phrases but do not generate new text. In Tomedes assignment data, a CAT tool was recorded on about 27% of translation assignments since January 2024. Machine translation such as Google Translate or ChatGPT is a different matter: it generates output without a person, and Tomedes uses it only in MTPE projects that are disclosed and priced separately.

Every human translation project is assigned to a linguist with documented subject expertise, and a second specialist reviews the work before delivery under ISO 17100:2015, which requires documented translator competence and a defined review process. On request, Tomedes provides the translator's qualifications for the project, and it states clearly when MTPE is used instead.

Contracts, court filings, medical records and reports, user manuals, marketing materials, websites, financial statements, academic papers, immigration documents and more. Each project goes to a specialist in the subject.

Upload the document, choose the target language or languages, and receive a free quote with cost and delivery time. After approval, Tomedes assigns a specialist human translator and a second reviewer.

Turnaround depends on length, complexity and the number of languages, and a professional can translate several thousand words per day. Tomedes offers standard and rush delivery, and every quote confirms the timeline.

Yes. Tomedes provides certified human translations for legal, government, immigration, banking and academic use, with a signed certificate of accuracy. Notarization can be arranged where an authority requires it.

Tomedes supports 270+ languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Arabic and Tagalog, and many rarer ones.

Translators work with written text, while interpreters handle spoken language in real time at meetings, events or calls. Tomedes provides both.

Tomedes uses secure systems and limits access to authorized linguists and project staff. Non-disclosure agreements are available on request.