{"id":12955,"date":"2024-02-22T11:15:41","date_gmt":"2024-02-22T11:15:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amperetranslations.com\/?p=12955"},"modified":"2026-06-23T10:00:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T08:00:03","slug":"translation-memory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amperelocalization.com\/es\/translation-memory\/","title":{"rendered":"Translation memory: What is it, how does it work and key benefits for a business"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Picture this: you must update a user manual for a specific gadget. What’s your strategy? Do you rewrite it from scratch? Or do you prefer to amend only what’s necessary to make it current and relevant?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Now, let’s shift gears to the world of e-commerce. Imagine a business with this amazing pair of shoes, available in five colours. Will they type the same product description five times, one for each shade? Or will they find a smarter, more efficient way of doing this?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

As you look for intelligent solutions when writing repetitive content in your native language, you must also explore the tools available to maximise efficiency in your translation process. This is where a <\/span>Translation Memory (TM) comes in, transforming how companies manage multilingual content<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

A TM is a fundamental component in the translation and localisation industry. It offers an innovative solution to ensure that <\/span>every translation project builds upon the last<\/b> and eliminates the need to retranslate your materials.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In this blog post, we will look into translation memory and how it works. We will share the best practices to leverage this technology, improve quality and consistency and save your business money.<\/span><\/p>

What is a translation memory?<\/b><\/h2>

So, what exactly is translation memory? At its core, a <\/span>TM is a database that stores \u00absegments\u00bb (phrases, sentences, paragraph parts) previously translated, allowing translators to reuse them <\/b>in future projects. But a translation memory is not just a database of text segments; it’s a living archive that grows with each project and becomes a source of accurate, reusable content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

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Termbase vs translation memory\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>

A termbase<\/b><\/a> is essentially a glossary of pre-established terms and phrases specific to a company or industry<\/b>. For example, a business may prefer to use the English words \u201cemail marketing\u201d or \u201cmarketing automation\u201d in other languages instead of the equivalent translation because the English terms are widely used, and they will provide these \u201cinstructions\u201d in a termbase.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Why is a termbase different to a TM? While a termbase acts as a dictionary that translators follow to use the correct terminology, <\/span>a translation memory retrieves words or sentences already translated <\/b>that language professionals can reuse and adapt to fit a new text.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Machine and AI translation vs translation memory\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>

Machine translation and <\/span>AI translation<\/span><\/a> usually come with the dilemma of how accurate and natural translations are; they combine different technologies, such as Neural Machine Translation and Machine Learning, to automatically translate text from one language to another without human involvement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Unlike these automated solutions, <\/span>professional translators build and continually refine a translation memory, providing a quality that machine translation systems struggle to match<\/b> without sacrificing efficiency.<\/span><\/p>

How does a translation memory work?<\/b><\/h2>

Modern <\/span>computer-assisted translation (CAT) tools<\/span><\/a> come with a translation memory as one of their features. This technology will scan the source text and compare it to the entries in the translation memory when a translator opens a document in a CAT tool. Then, <\/span>the TM will recommend a translation for the new segment if there are <\/b>matching or similar segments.<\/span><\/p>

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The translator can now view both the source text pulled from the translation memory and the suggested translation. They can <\/span>accept, reject or modify the suggested translation<\/b> before moving on to the next segment.\u00a0This post is sponsored by our partners Wigs<\/span><\/p>

As translators work on the new text, new segments are created in the translation memory, adding to the number of available segments ready to be used next time.<\/span><\/p>

Types of translation memory matches<\/b><\/h3>

As mentioned above, a translation memory suggests a translation for a new segment if\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

there are matching or similar segments. A TM has a rating system for defining how close the translation matches are. This leads to different types of matches:<\/span><\/p>