How to Translate Text Online: 5 Great Translation Tools
By Kay FleuryUpdated on August 19, 2024
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When you’re visiting an unfamiliar place, it can be frustrating when you don’t speak the local language. Carrying around a translation dictionary can be annoying, and it can take a long time to look things up, and figure out what someone is saying to you.
Fortunately, there are other options that will make it faster and easier to translate a foreign language into one you can understand. Online translation tools have come a long way, and they’re a great thing to use when you’re in another country. We’re going to tell you about online translation tools, helpful uses for them, and which ones are the best.
Helpful uses for online text translators
- Translating foreign websites – for example, if you’re shopping online, you may come across a website that’s in another language. Using a translator can help you read descriptions of items for sale.
- To help you when travelling – if you’re away on vacation, online translators can help you communicate with locals.
- When trying to learn a new language – if you’re trying to teach yourself a new language, using an online translator can help you add new words to your vocabulary.
- For difficult school assignments – when taking a class on another language, translation tools can be helpful for completing assignments.
Those are some great uses for online translation tools. Now, let’s talk about five of the best online translation tools you can use yourself.
5 best online translation tools
1. Google Translate
One of the most popular online translation tools available is Google Translate. It’s very simple to use, and allows for instant translation of text, websites, images, and videos from one language to another. You can translate single words or entire phrases and paragraphs. Google Translate is available for over 100 languages, and is completely free to use!
2. FreeTranslation.com
FreeTranslation.com offers language translation software and interpretation services. Use it to translate text, websites, and whole documents. FreeTranslation.com provides free, instant translations, so it’s very convenient when you need something translated quickly.
3. WorldLingo.com
WorldLingo is another great free online translation tool. You can type in words or sentences to translate (up to 500 words), upload documents, or even translate emails. Their free translation system is available for 15 different languages. WorldLingo’s free translations are done instantly by an automated system, but they also offer professional translation done by a real person if you’re willing to pay a small fee for it. They have translators qualified to translate over 140 languages.
4. PROMT
The next translating tool we’d recommend trying is called the PROMT system. PROMT has the ability to translate 16 different languages, and can automatically detect the source language and topic of the text you enter to be translated. It also has a spelling checker and dictionary feature if you want to check over what you’re putting into the translator. PROMT even allows users to capture an audio recording of someone speaking and instantly translate it into text. It’s a great all-in-one translation tool, and is free to use as well.
5. DocTranslator
DocTranslator allows you to upload documents and translate them instantly, without disrupting the layout of your original document. It supports over 100 languages, and they’re always working towards adding more languages to their translation system. You don’t have to register for an account to use the site, and while they appreciate charitable donations, you aren’t obligated to pay anything to use the service.
Now that we’ve told you about some of the best online translation tools we’d recommend using, there are a few other things we want to tell you about these kinds of translating services. Here are some things you should know before using an online translation system.
4 things to know before using online translators
1. They aren’t always 100% accurate or grammatical.
When you use an instant, automated online translator, the translated text may not always be perfectly grammatical. For example, sometimes the literal translation from one language to another can result in text that does not convey the same message as intended by the text you entered to be translated. Keep in mind that these translation tools can be helpful, but aren’t always as accurate as a human translator would be.
2. Translating single words is more likely to be correct than an entire sentence.
If you only need to translate a single word, it’s much more likely to be translated correctly than if you were to enter an entire sentence or phrase. When you enter a string of words to be translated, the likelihood of it being perfectly grammatical decreases with each additional word you enter.
3. You can translate the languages both ways.
With online translators like the ones we’ve mentioned above, you can translate your native language to a foreign language, or translate a foreign language into one you can understand. This is good to know if you’re travelling to a new country and don’t know the local language.
4. Using these websites requires an Internet connection.
In order to use these online translation tools, you’ll need a mobile data or Wi-Fi Internet connection. When travelling abroad, these tools can be very useful, but be mindful of how much data you’re using when accessing these sites. If you don’t have a travel package added to your cell phone plan, you could end up being charged high fees for using your mobile data in another country. Check with your provider to find out more information.
We’ve now covered everything you need to know about online translation tools and what they’re good for, as well as which ones are our favorites. With these tools by your side, you’ll be able to have basic conversations with people when you travel! Ready to book your next getaway? Check out our guides on popular travel and vacation websites.