Translation vs Transcription: What’s the Difference?

At first glance, translation and transcription may seem quite similar since they both involve converting information from one format to another. However, these are actually two distinct processes with some key differences.

What is Translation? Translation refers to the process of converting written text from one language into another language. A human translator or machine translation software will take the source text in the original language and re-write it completely in the target language while preserving the original meaning and context.

Some examples of translation include:

• Translating a book from English to Spanish
• Translating website content from French to Arabic
• Translating legal documents from Japanese to English

For a translation to be accurate, the translator must have an excellent understanding of not just vocabulary and grammar rules, but idioms, cultural context, and writing styles in both languages.

What is Transcription? Transcription, on the other hand, involves converting spoken audio or video content into written text in the same language. A transcriptionist will listen to the recorded audio and type out verbatim what is being said, recreating the content in a textual format.

Common examples of transcription include:

• Transcribing a doctor’s audio notes into text
• Transcribing a lecture or podcast into a text document
• Transcribing audio or video interviews into a transcript

The key aspect of transcription is reproducing the original spoken content as accurately as possible, including filler words, accents, and any other audio nuances.

While translation involves shifting languages, transcription simply changes the format from audio/video to text within the same language.

In summary:

Translation = Written text to another written language Transcription = Spoken audio/video to written text (same language)

Both processes require close attention to detail and context to properly convey the original meaning. However, the competencies for each are quite different, which is why they are considered distinct specialties.