A Few Abbreviations Every Technical Translator Should Know

Useful information for technical translators

Here is are a few abbreviations you will encounter regularly if you work in technical translation:

• TM — Translation Memory (it is sometimes referred to as a Translation Database)
• TB — Termbase (terminology base)
• CAT — Computer-Aided Translation
• TEP — Translation, Editing, Proofreading
• TO — Translation Only (without editing and proofreading)
• DNT — Do Not Translate
• QA — Quality Assurance (ensuring translation quality)
• AT — Automatic Translation (same as MT)
• MT — Machine Translation
• PEMT — Post-Edited Machine Translation
• MTPE — Machine Translation Post Editing
• EOB — End of Business (also EOD — End of Day) — end of the working day
• SOB — Start of Business (also SOD — Start of Day) — start of the working day
• HO — Hand-Off (all resources provided by the client for the project like translation files, source files, glossaries, samples of previous translations, etc.)
• HB — Hand-Back (all deliverables returned to the client after the project is completed)
• TAT — Turnaround Time (deadline for completion of work)
• PO — Purchase Order
• WC — Word Count (number of words)
• WWC — Weighted Word Count (number of weighted or effort words)