Find a calculator ↗Translation Turnaround Time Calculator
Estimate working days for a translation and review project. Model a translation phase followed by review, with separate daily capacities and a final delivery allowance.
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What is this translation turnaround time calculator?
A translation turnaround calculator estimates working days for a simple two-phase workflow: translation followed by review. Each phase uses the number of people assigned and the source words each can process in a working day. Whole-day rounding creates a practical planning allowance for partial final days.
How to use the calculator
Enter the source-word count for one target language. Set translator count and daily capacity, then reviewer count and daily capacity. Add working days for final checks and delivery. Use rates appropriate to the subject matter and include an allowance for coordination outside this basic model.
Check the input assumptions
Review the help text beneath each field before calculating. Enter amounts in US dollars where shown and use consistent units. Change one assumption at a time to understand which inputs affect your result.
Formula and worked example
Example calculation
Twelve thousand words shared by two translators at 2,000 words per person-day require three translation days. One reviewer at 4,000 words per day requires three review days. Adding one day for final checks gives seven sequential working days.
These numbers illustrate the calculation; they are not recommended rates or industry benchmarks.
How to interpret your result
Find the phase with the largest workload before adding resources. Extra translators may have little effect when review is the bottleneck. Splitting a document also requires terminology and style coordination; more people do not automatically produce a proportional real-world speedup.
What the estimate leaves out
The model assumes work can be divided evenly and the full team is available. It does not overlap review with translation or account for weekends, holidays, approval queues, terminology research, or revision cycles. The result is not a calendar delivery promise.
Frequently asked questions
Does the result include weekends?
No. It is expressed in working days, without a calendar start date. Map the estimate to actual availability and holidays before agreeing a delivery date.
Can review begin while translation is still in progress?
That is possible in a staged workflow, but this tool assumes sequential phases. Use a detailed schedule for rolling handoffs instead of adding these phase durations directly.
Are the example daily word counts recommended standards?
No. They are editable examples. Use demonstrated capacity for the language pair, content complexity, tools, and quality requirements involved.
How do I plan several target languages?
Calculate each language workflow separately. If teams run concurrently, the slowest critical workflow may drive delivery; if resources are shared, build a combined resource schedule.
Why does zero source text still show final-check days?
The final-check allowance is an independent input. Set it to zero when there is genuinely no work; the translation and review phases will already return zero.
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Estimate a translation project budget using source words, target languages, translation rates, and review costs. Add fixed and project-management charges on a clear cost basis.
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