No matter what you do, or where you go, it is highly likely that your business will need to translate some sort of information at some point. Many businesses will often focus their efforts on hiring a professional translation company to carry their translations for them. While this is not at all a bad idea, it can wind up costing a ton of money as time goes on. This is why it is important for you to take the time to learn all that you can about translation software for pc and best translation tools for languages.
This is a list of free translation tools for language learning. It’s always better to learn with the software for pc, because it can give us more serious results in language translation.
Google Translate
Google Translate is probably the most widely known translation programme out there. It has been integrated into other Google products such as Chrome and some Android apps and currently supports 109 different languages. Through the auto-detection setting, this tool will automatically translate any webpage or text to your preferred language, even if you don’t know what language the original text is written in.
While using Google Translate, you can download language packs so that you don’t have to drain your mobile data when you are out and about or when you’re not connected to Wi-Fi, meaning it’s ideal for use whilst travelling. The audio component is another feature that makes it useful for travellers.
The failings of Google Translate, namely its lack of subtlety and inability to consider cultural contexts, have been well documented and, although it has made some real improvements in recent years, it’s still unreliable for professional situations. Having said that, it’s one of the best free and accessible options available today.
Bing Translator
Bing Translator is one of the best translation tools that can be used on a Windows phone. This Microsoft product has the distinction of being a translation tool with a free API. Most developers use it to power app translation features because Google makes them pay for accessing it.
Bing translator supports several languages with a built-in auto-detection that can translate uploaded documents and web pages. It also allows users to vote translations either up or down depending on the accuracy. Users can make use of the spoken word feature for some of the languages supported and the bookmarks in any browser using one click.
Among the reasons why you should use Bing Translate are the text recognition and OCR features which allow you to hold the app up to unfamiliar text and characters. After doing this, the app will translate onto your screen immediately. The majority of users have praised the Windows phone app due to the OCR features and the app’s voice capabilities which can speak in different native languages.
Linguee
A crowd favorite, this unique translation tool combines a dictionary with a search engine, so you can search for bilinguals texts, words and expressions in different languages to check meanings and contextual translations. Linguee also searches the web for relevant translated documents and shows you how a word is being translated throughout the internet. It is often used in conjunction with Google Images to help translators and language learners alike.
SDL Trados Studio
The most recommended computer-assisted translation (CAT) tool by Gengo Wordsmiths, SDL Trados is a wise investment for full-time translators. This software features TM, terminology, machine translation and software localization. Most large agencies require translators to work with one of the established CAT tools, so using SDL Trados could also increase your client base and broaden your horizons. If you need time to decide before purchase, try a free demo version for 30 days.
Translatedict
On Translatedict, you can choose from over 50 languages and use auto-detect for your own dialect. Just enter your word, phrase, or a large amount of text, pick the translation language, and hit the Translate button. You’ll see the written translation and can click the sound button to hear it out loud.
If you’re using the translation in written communication, you’ll see helpful word and character counts at the bottom. This is great for texts or social media posts where you have limited space.
Translatedict also provides areas solely for the voice translator and text-to-speech feature. Plus, you can request help with professional translations and receive a quote by filling out the online form.
Translate.com
A good translator that uses Microsoft’s service, but offers over 30 languages is Translate.com. You can use your voice or keyboard to enter the text, then read or listen to the translation.
If you believe the translation should be reviewed, you can obtain a human translation with the first 100 words free. Just click the contact icon and sign in or create an account.
TranslatePress
TranslatePress offers two useful translation tools:
- TranslatePress has a free website translation widget that you can use to translate any website on the Internet just by entering a URL.
- If you have your own WordPress website, TranslatePress offers an easy-to-use WordPress multilingual plugin that you can use to translate your own website into unlimited new languages.
If you want to translate someone else’s website, you can use the first tool, which supports over 100 different languages. All you need to do is:
- Go to the translation tool page.
- Choose the original language of the website (or you can let the tool detect this).
- Choose the destination language into which you want to translate the website’s content.
- Enter the URL of the page that you want to translate.
- Click the big Translate button
From there, you’ll see the translated version of the page and you can navigate around just like you normally would.
This tool works great if you want to translate someone else’s website. But if you want to translate your own website to create a multilingual website, TranslatePress also offers a free WordPress plugin that lets you translate 100% of your site’s content using a simple visual editor like this:
WordLens
WordLens was developed by Quest Visual, which was recently acquired by Google. Therefore, you should expect to see some Google Translate features on this tool.
According to resume writing services, WordLens rose in popularity back in 2010 because its Android and iPhone apps were among the first to offer camera-based and real-time translations. If you are wondering how this works, all you have to do is hold your device up to whatever you are reading and the app will translate it to your native language in seconds. When it was introduced to the market, everyone was mesmerised by this capability.
Just like other tools, it’s not 100% perfect but it’s very useful for reading menus, street signs, and other printed texts that you want to read. Since it was acquired by Google, WordLens is a now free tool and anyone can download and use it anytime on Android, iOS, and Google Glass platforms. Unfortunately WordLens currently only offers 27 languages and, as with many of these tools, often produces incomprehensible translations. One great thing about WordLens, however, is that it works offline, so it’s great for use whilst travelling abroad.
The Free Dictionary
Available in a wide variety of languages, this comprehensive site is a dictionary, thesaurus and encyclopedia in one. Get free access to medical, financial and legal dictionaries, an extensive collection of idioms, acronyms, quotes, and several languages besides English, such as Spanish, French, Portuguese and Japanese. The encyclopedia also has sections updated regularly, providing users a word or article of the day. The free mobile application is compatible with iOS and Android devices.
DeepL Translator
The DeepL Translator is a really cool tool with its definitions and automatic sentence completion options. You can choose from 26 languages and when you receive the translation, just double-click a word for more details.
When you select that word in the translation, you will see a dropdown box with more options. You can also take a look at the word definition that pops up at the bottom of the page at the same time. Plus, you will see examples of the word being used in both the input and output languages. This is great if you are trying to learn the language you are translating into.
Conclusion:
Translations are the way of bridging the gaps between languages. While humans can communicate with each other through gestures, handshaking, mime, and charades, computers don’t. However, this is not an issue anymore with translation software for pc available on the internet. You can think of them as tools that mimic human language skills.